President Buhari Sets up Presidential Task Force for the Control of Coronavirus in Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari Monday set up a Presidential Task Force for the Control of the Coronavirus-19 Disease (COVID-19).

Justifying the move, Buhari said given the current global outbreak of the novel Coronavirus and its potential of causing significant disruption to health services in the country as well as impacting negatively on the economy, the task force has become imperative.

“This action is in preparation for the unlikely but probable major outbreak of the disease in the country which will require a multi-sectoral inter-governmental approach as advised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) similar to that adopted for the HIV epidemic in the last two decades,” the President said, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

The start and finish task group which would be expected to deliver within a maximum period of six months, comprised the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha as Chair; Sani Aliyu as National Coordinator; Minister of Health; Minister of Interior; Minister of Aviation; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Services; Minister of Education; Minister of Information and Culture; and Minister of Environment.

Other members are: Director-General, State Services; Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control; and WHO Country Representative.

- IDOWU SOWUNMI