Mr Muhammad Bayero, the Managing Director, Kaduna Market Management and Development Company (KMDMC), on Monday, said the state had lost N6 billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the last one month.
Addressing a news conference in Kaduna, Bayero said that the lockdown imposed as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic had taken a negative toll on the state’s IGR from its major markets
According to him, the creation of alternative neighborhood markets in some public primary and secondary schools was to ease the hardship occasioned by the lockdown.
He said that the purpose of the markets was to allow people stock up food items and other essential commodities on the two days the government relaxed the lockdown.
Bayero said that the government would continue to ensure strict compliance with the social distancing order in the neighborhood markets to prevent the transmission of the virus.
“Not fewer than seven security personnel will be at all the neighborhood markets to ensure social distancing, anybody going into the market will also have their temperatures screened.
“The markets will provide essentials items to the community at close quarters; to ensure total adherence to the lockdown order, the markets are situated not more than one kilometer from every community,’’ he said.
The official warned that anybody found violating the social distancing order or trying to constitute nuisance in the markets would be severely dealt with.
“It is better to endure the lockdown for three months than for one year. The people of Kaduna should support the government initiative in defeating the virus; irresponsibility would only amount to longer lockdown,” Bayero said.
