Buhari sets up 12-member Presidential Task Force to fight Coronavirus

 

The President, Muhammadu Buhari, has set up a 12-member Presidential Task Force for the Control of Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease in Nigeria.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, is the chairman of the task force which has seven ministers as members while Dr Sani Aliyu will serve as the National Coordinator.

A State House press release published on the official Presidency Nigeria twitter handle, Monday night, said the task force is a proactive measure set up by the Presidency in the event of the “unlikely but probable major outbreak of the disease in the country” given the current global outbreak of the coronavirus disease.

The task force has six months within which to execute its assignment.

The statement reads: “Given the current global outbreak of the novel Coronavirus and its potential to cause significant disruption to health services in Nigeria as well as impact negatively on the economy, President Buhari has established a Presidential Task Force for the Control of the COVID-19 disease.

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“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 2 decades.

“The start and finish task group which would be expected to deliver within a maximum period of 6 months, comprises the following: Mr. Boss Mustapha (SGF) – Chair; Dr Sani Aliyu – National Coordinator; Hon Minister of Health and Hon Minister of Interior.”

Also, appointed are the Minister of Aviation; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Services; Minister of Education; Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of Environment.

Making up the list are the Director-General, State Services; Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and World Health Organisation Country Representative.