Buhari sets up Task Force on Coronavirus

By DAVID IORJA, Abuja –

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, President Muhammadu Buhari has established a Presidential Task Force for the Control of the Coronavirus-19 Disease (COVID-19).

The action, according to Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), 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.”

Shehu said in a statement on Monday that the ‘start and finish task group,’ which would be expected to deliver within a maximum period of six months, comprises  the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF),Mr. Boss Mustapha  as Chairman and Dr. Sani Aliyu  as National Coordinator.

Others include Minister of Health, Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire; Minister of Interior; Minister of Aviation; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Services; Minister of Education and; Minister of Information and Culture.

The rest are Minister of Environment; Director-General, State Services; Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and; WHO Country Representative.