The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, has said Nigerians should expect new processes on Monday exactly two weeks after the start of a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States.
Mustapha said this on Sunday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the activities of the task force. He said the team had supplied Buhari with all materials needed to take necessary action on COVID-19 which he described as a marathon race. READ: COVID-19: Gov. Ganduje slashes salaries of political appointees by 50% .
The SGF, who said communities must now take ownership of the battle to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, said the disease would not disappear in the next two months. He stressed the need to protect the aged, the sick and people with underlying health challenges from the virus by maintaining the existing guidelines that banned congregation.
He said the PTF supplied Buhari with all the materials required to look at the issues. “Because we’re in for the long hurl, this is not a short distance race, is a marathon and we have to keep everything in perspective. “So he expressed his satisfaction with the PTF…Our numbers are going up, but you have to consider that our mortality too is not as drastic as it’s being expected,” he said.
Mustapha, while speaking whether he had received Madagascar’s remedy, said: “I understand it’s been brought by…I’ll take delivery probably Monday (today). “The president has already said it will be scientifically dealt with; it is only after that that he can allow it to be tested. “But that has been our position that whatever comes in, whatever cure, whatever solution that is being provided must be subjected to a process of validation.
“The minister of health has institutions under his ministry that are charged statutorily with the processes of validation. “Anything that we will receive, anything that is locally developed must go through the processes of validation before we will allow it…” When asked whether the PTF could say that the current action had achieved its purpose, he said: “Yes. We had three objectives and I can say to a large extent we have achieved these objectives… “And like I said, it is not a 100 meter race, it is a marathon. “So, at every point in time you put in place, the strategy and move forward and that is what we are doing.”
