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Mr. Chris Aligbe, an aviation industry analyst and Chief Executive Officer of Belujane Konzult, in this interview assesses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation’s aviation industry and foresees very tough times ahead for the operators unless government aids them through funding support to enable them come out of the operational abyss the pandemic has plunged them into over the past three months.

How would you rate the impact of this COVID-19 on the aviation industry? The impact is already known. What should we do to make sure the industry does not collapse and that the industry can immediately take up so that we can meet the requirements or expectation after this?

The fact of the matter is that we are already having a feeling. Every aspect of the industry is impacted particularly because the revenues in the industry depend on the flights whether it is aeronautical or non-aeronautical. The more flights you have into an airport, the more likely businesses will develop around the airport. The main revenue generation, the passenger sale charge (PSC), the ticket sale charge (TSC) that is the main revenue that is generated and shared among the parastatals, particularly the regulatory bodies that do not engage in business such as the Accident Investigation Bureau does not engage in business and the Nigeria Meteorological Agency which can engage in business but limitedly. But the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria engages in business and its business is dependent on a lot of flights that come in; the landing and parking charges, the rentals, and all other businesses whether you are talking about airport charges, whether you are talking about toll gate charges, duty free shops or eateries, restaurants, it all depends on whether the people are coming, it depends on the travelling passengers and more importantly it depends on meeters and greeters. If an airport has a tributary of 10,000 passengers, the meeters and greeters would double that and be about 20,000 and visitors to the airport would be about 30,000 while only 10,000 may be travelling. It is this number that excites businesses around the airport. Now FAAN cannot get that because flights are not coming, all businesses are shut down and more importantly on the side of FAAN, they are losing both aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenues. They have lost it and there is no other place for them to generate any fund. Why is the case of FAAN very serious like you said? Why their own is very severe is because they must serve people to run the airports. People must be at the airports, the aviation security personnel must be there, people would be there to maintain the airports to ensure the facilities don’t wear out.

Where would they generate the money?

And they don’t receive annual budgetary subvention. So, something seriously has to be done, not just FAAN, I just used FAAN as an example because its case is very severe. The same thing happens to NAMA. NAMA generates funds from overflights and air route charges. It cannot now because there are no overflight charges now, not much of air route charges, air planes are not flying, most countries of the world are shut down. If you realize that much of revenues of FAAN are generated from operations of foreign airlines because they are much more diligent and regular in paying their charges, they pay, they don’t owe much. They pay for all the services offered to them, 60-65 per cent of FAAN’s revenues come from foreign airlines. That’s their aeronautical revenues. Now, the airlines are not there and FAAN before now has been under serious burden – the burden of running the airports. Apart from Lagos and Abuja, other airports are not generating enough revenue to sustain them, to run them. Some airport revenues are not up to 10 per cent of what is required to run them. Abuja generates 18 per cent of FAAN’s revenues; Lagos generates 58 per cent. If you put them together, that is 76. The remaining 24 is generated by other 20 airports put together. Abuja’s 18 per cent is just enough to run Abuja but not any excess to run other airports. So, it is only Lagos that generates all the money that is being used to run other airports and FAAN must keep its staff in all the airports so that the airports don’t deteriorate.

How will they cope? What will the government do?

If you look at NCAA, it is the same. If you look at AIB, it is the same. AIB is one area that attracts some little subvention because it is restricted from going into any business because of the nature of its role. So, it doesn’t go into business. It depends on the little shared to it from TSC and any little allocation from the government, particularly for capital projects. So, the entire industry is affected. If you look at it, all the handling companies, NAHCO and SAHCO, there is nothing to handle. No cargo, no aircraft, nothing at all, nobody is going to pay them. Their staff are there, they are not earning anything. The same thing happens with NCAT, there is no training going on, the airlines are all on ground. So, the aviation industry is in dire need of attention. So what is the way out? The challenges are there. The sole objective in any economic downturn like the kind of crisis we have here is to make sure that the sector does not collapse. The aviation industry is so critical because that is the first means of long range transportation of people. You know what our roads are and carriage of goods.

The first thing that should of great concern is how do we ensure that the industry does not collapse?

What you have to do is to make provision for them so that the organizations would have fund. That fund can come in terms of grants. It is not only for the parastatals but the airlines, the handling companies, just to realize that these are components of the national economy and that they contribute immensely to the economy in terms of employment, taxes and whatever they offer contribute to the GDP. They are contributors to GDP. So when things happen like this, you don’t say these are private organizations. It is important to have a grant that would keep them afloat. When I say grant, I am not talking about loan, they would look at it, look at the size of each organization and what they have in order to give them grant to stay afloat so that they don’t sack their staff and create unemployment.

What about the parastatals, the aviation agencies that mostly depend on the ticket sale charge and the cargo sale charge to survive?

For the parastatals, you need to have allocations for them, allocations that will keep them running, keep their staff engaged, make sure they are not abandoning their schedules and particularly for FAAN, to make sure the airports don’t deteriorate because like your house, if you are not using it, it will start deteriorating. The airports will deteriorate. But this is the time to make sure that every facility is maintained, from runway light, the conveyor belt, toilets, the airports must be kept clean, must be in a state of readiness to resume operations and funds have to be provided for it. So, a lot of allocations should be made to place like FAAN to accommodate this, keep the staff, keep the airports running and make sure they have funds to maintain the airports and ensure that facilities don’t deteriorate. So, for the parastatals, allocations should be made for them.

For the private sector, airlines and handling companies, grants should be given to them at the first instance to protect employment, protect the facilities. Based on your experience in the industry, what do you think could be done to grow the industry after the Coronavirus pandemic?

Yes, coronavirus will come and go, the industry will have to not just continue, but the industry will have to grow. It should not be left to stagnate. If the industry stagnates, its contributions to economy will stop. For the industry not to stagnate, it has to do with our airlines. While they keep growing, the next thing to do is to grow employment. This is why I will come to the point people have talked over time about national carrier and all those things. Yes, government doesn’t have money but luckily what is being programmed is not a government-funded or government-owned national carrier. Government is just to put in something to kick-start the airlines’ operations. But in a situation where government says, we can’t make budgetary allocation for this, for the airlines including the existing domestic airlines and the proposed national carrier, let there be a loanable fund, an intervention fund, soft loan of very low single-digit interest rate and long term – between 10 and 15 years maximum- and it should be a loan that should not go through the banks that they would now inflate it with their own charges. It is the Central Bank that would provide this loanable fund, an intervention kind of fund that is available to be taken by the airlines and at a determined interest rate by Central Bank.

How easy it is to start a national carrier?

I say this because for our present domestic carriers it will take them about two years to come out of the present downturn even with all this assistance before they can begin to pick up again and start growing to create more employment. But the national carrier, a new floatation, would be in a position to immediately create employment and begin to expand the industry. That is why for the purpose of employment creation, we need to think out of the box on the national carrier but the way to think out of the box, government says they don’t have money, but Central Bank should have this kind of fund that can be taken from, you can call it soft loan with tenor of over 15-20 years, that would help in setting up because with about 15 aircraft, most of the time you find that airlines, depending on their level of technology and the kind of aircraft they are using, it is usually between 90-150 staff per aircraft. So, if you have a mixture of 15 aircraft on the national carrier, you are sure of about 2,225 staff that is direct employment before you start having the trickle down, those who would do catering services and all that. So you find that kind of expansion. For the purpose of employment creation, it is very, very important, very mandatory that we push the issue of national carrier, but then drawing fund from the intervention fund that would be available, that is in case government says they don’t have money to give. But luckily it (the national carrier) is not going to be funded by the government. Government is just going to give it a push and then the attraction from investors and technical partners. So, we must do something to make sure the industry does not collapse, start a grant to the private sector operators, from airlines to handling companies and other critical stakeholders. But we need this assistance for them to programme to return. Once the COVID-19 is over, it will take the airlines 12 to 18 months to fully return. So, within that period, it is also very possible, quite easier for the floatation of a new carrier which I think the Minister is driving which would immediately create employment and pull the industry up.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/covid-19-funding-bailout-key-to-nigerian-airlines-recovery-aligbe.html

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has asked the state government to quarantine all staff of Government House following the report of the first index case of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state. A statement from the Director, New Media of PDP, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, said that this is necessary to avoid the pandemic from spreading further.

Nwaogwugwu expressed worry at the situation where the story surrounding the first coronavirus case in Imo was shrouded in secrecy, adding that other states were able to identify and quarantine the index case and also inform their citizens. Nwaogwugwu said: “With the official announcement of an index coronavirus case in Owerri yesterday by the NCDC, Imo has officially joined the list of state of the COVID-19 map, just like our authoritative source earlier hinted. “From our sources too, this infected person, who is the index case, is said to be a close aide in Douglas House.

“We demand that the people that have been to Douglas House recently should immediately be quarantined and their contacts meticulously traced to prevent further community transmission of the virus.” He said that with this latest development, it means that the lockdown and curfew imposed on the state by Governor Hope Uzodimma had failed to achieve its desired purpose and should be immediately reviewed. Meanwhile, there is apprehension in Imo over the discovery of a COVID-19 patient in Imo.

No less miffed are journalists in the state who have been kept in the dark about development surrounding the index case. Efforts by our correspondent to speak with the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba and the Chief Press Secretary proved abortive. Even the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Damaris Osunkwo and the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Dr. Kingsley Achigbu, did not pick their calls after repeated calls.

A male voice, who later picked Osunkwo’s number, said she will get back to me while Achigbu sent a text that he was having a meeting. However, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Kyrian Duruewuru, who is also a member of Imo COVID–19 committee, told our correspondent that some samples were taken from some private hospitals and Government House about three days ago for testing. He added: “We are yet to know the source of main source of the index case.

Following the inability of the Imo State Government to make full disclosure of the first COVID-19 index case in the state, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state, Mr. Steve Uzoechi, has warned journalists to be wary of going into Imo Government House, Owerri, frequently. Uzoechi said that the warning had become necessary, because of the cautious manner the state government was disclosing information on the first case of the virus in the state.

In a statement, which he personally signed, Uzoechi said: “Having noticed a pattern to the disclosure of the instant COVID-19 case in Imo state – rather very reluctant disclosure, I am constrained to urge every member of the Correspondents’ Chapel to adopt the strictest preventive measure henceforth as the index case could be anybody. It could be someone you know and someone who relates closely with someone you know.

I particularly urge our members in the government house to be very mindful of their safety because of the level of unimpeded traffic to and fro the government house.”

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/fears-heighten-in-imo-over-covid-19-index-case.html

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Australia has launched a smartphone app to trace people who come in contact with coronavirus patients despite privacy concerns that authorities insisted Sunday were unwarranted. The COVIDSafe app uses a phone’s Bluetooth wireless signal to store information about people’s interactions, and can be accessed by health officials if a person contracts coronavirus.

Australia’s chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said the app would speed up a “laborious process” for health authorities tracking down users who have been within 1.5 metres of someone who has the virus. “What this will do is give a list of the mobile phone numbers of those people who have been in contact within that distance for 15 minutes or more,” he said. “That could lead to someone being contacted a day or two earlier than they otherwise may have been.”

Australia has recorded just over 6,700 cases of COVID-19 and 83 deaths from the virus. The rise in infections has slowed considerably in recent weeks, with just 16 new cases recorded across the country Sunday. Health officials say widespread take-up of the app would help them to ease tough restrictions on movement and gatherings. Just under half of Australia’s population would need to download the program for it to be an effective tool.

The app is free and sign-up is voluntary, despite initial suggestions it could be made mandatory. In an effort to alleviate privacy concerns, users can provide a fake name and police cannot access the data to investigate crimes, while all information is automatically deleted after 21 days.

“What we have done is strip back the function so it has one job and one job alone and that is that if you are positive, to be able to make that available only to the state public health authorities, with nobody else having access,” health minister Greg Hunt said.

Singapore pioneered the use of coronavirus tracing apps, and work on implementing digital contact tracing is underway in France, Germany and Britain.

In the United States, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden cited contact tracing as part of a plan “to safely reopen America” along with expanded testing and other steps. (AFP)

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/australia-launches-app-to-trace-coronavirus-contacts.html

As the federal and some state governments enforce a lockdown, restricting movement to control the spread of the new coronavirus (also called COVID-19) pandemic, scores of law enforcement agents manning checkpoints may be at risk as they work without personal protective equipment (PPE). The agents are also battling logistics crisis and an overwhelming rate of violation of traffic rules mostly by commercial motorists trying to survive amidst the lockdown. Our survey across over 20 checkpoints in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State showed that many security agents may be at risk of contracting the coronavirus due to these hurdles.

Transport: ‘How we suffer going to work’ Patrick Okorie is a police officer with Utako Division in Abuja but resides in Mararaba, a Nasarawa State town bordering the FCT. However, as part of the team enforcing the lockdown, he has to find a way to get to his station very early to join the official vehicle designated to a particular checkpoint for that day. “I have to be ready latest by 6am and get a vehicle that would convey me to Abuja.

This is very difficult as the restriction stops all commercial vehicles from operating,” Okorie noted. Like Okorie, Margaret John lives in Kubwa but serves in Abuja town. “What I later devised after two weeks of the lockdown is that our colleague who has a car, gives us a lift. But it was not easy initially.”

President Muhammadu Buhari had initially declared a lockdown of Lagos, Ogun States and Abuja on March 30 for a 14-day period. By 13th of April, he extended the order by another 14 days which will elapse on Monday April 27, 2020. On 2nd of April, the Nasarawa State government imposed a 24-hour curfew on Karu Local Government Area (LGA) for an initial 14 days and its has continued. Operatives without PPEs Aliyu Isa is a vigilante group member working with a team at the checkpoint in Mararaba but he has no facemask. “We have been promised that we will get facemasks but for now they are not there for many of us,” he revealed.

Daily Trust, however, observed on Wednesday afternoon that almost all the VIOs had yellow facemasks at checkpoints at Mabushi, the National Mosque at Central Area, AYA at Asokoro, NICON Junction at Maitama, and the military checkpoint at Kugbo. However, only a few police officials were observed to have black facemasks around these routes, and others including the Nyanya checkpoint which is the boundary between the FCT and Nasarawa State on the Abuja-Keffi expressway. At the checkpoint, officials of Nasarawa State COVID-19 taskforce were seen checking the body temperature of commuters. While the health officials have facemasks, many of the others including military personnel did not wear any.

At other checkpoints along Mararaba and Masaka route in the state, there were fewer operatives that had safety kits, oftentimes coming in closer contact with commuters. Some who had did not wear it. Matthew Sambo, an operative said it was difficult using the mask especially as they stood in the scorching sun, sweating profusely while screening road users.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/covid-19-security-agents-lack-safety-kits-face-other-hurdles-in-abuja-nasarawa.html

The National Council for Arts and Culture yesterday donated locally produced face masks and hand sanitizers to newsrooms in the country. Its Director-General Olusegun Runsewe said it was to appreciate the media for ensuring timely and effective dissemination of adequate and correct information about the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the council was also donating the hygiene materials to its stakeholders As well as the poor and vulnerable Nigerians, including the internally displaced persons. He said so far, the council had produced over 8,000 pieces of face masks as well as over 13 drums of locally and organically made hand sanitizers.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/arts-and-culture-council-donates-masks-sanitizers-to-newsrooms-idps.html

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has cancelled a three-day schedule for working visits to some local government areas of the state and called on internally displaced people he was to visit to pray in honour of Abba Kyari who died on Friday. Kyari was chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari and from Borno state.

Zulum was to spend three days in Ngala local government area for both food distribution and foundation laying of some projects due to humanitarian needs of internally displaced people. On Saturday, he suspended all his schedules and mobilized internally displaces people on camps in Ngala local government to offer prayers to God for the repose of Late Kyari who hailed from Bama LGA in Borno state.

Governor Zulum shortly after receiving the news of Kyari’s demise at Gamboru, a border town in Ngala LGA, where he passed the night, requested Chief Imam of the town, Goni-Awari Goni-Kadiri to lead a gathering of other imams and displaced persons to offer prayers of forgiveness and eternal peace in favour of the deceased. “We have lost one of our own, Alhaji Abba Kyari, chief of staff to the President. It is a big loss to us because Borno has just lost a rock.

I was really shocked by news of his demise. I last spoke with him exactly weeks ago and he was in good spirit,” he said in a statement. “Alhaji Abba Kyari was a good man that was misunderstood by many people and whatever it is, his appointed time has come and every human will one day die, no matter how long we live and for this divine reason, good people or those with wisdom, do not celebrate the death of anyone.

“I urge all of us here to pray for one of our own. Someone who was sincerely passionate about the fight against boko haram towards peace-building and restoration in Borno state, the northeast and Nigeria. “I will like this gathering of Imams to lead prayers for the late chief of staff to have eternal peace. May Allah forgive his shortcomings, admit him into aljanna and give his family, other loved ones and the people of Borno state the fortitude to bear his demise,” Zulum told the group of imams.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/zulum-cancels-state-visits-to-mourn-kyari.html

Business owners in the country have identified problems of liquidity and the safety of their employees’ jobs as among the most pressing business needs they are concerned about as they continue to contend with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. These concerns were part of the findings of a survey conducted by Price Water Coopers (PwC) Nigeria on the economic implications of the pandemic for Nigeria and policy responses by the governments.

The key findings of the survey, which had about 3,000 respondents ranging from managers to CEOs and business owners, were disclosed during a Webinar hosted by the firm, on the economic implications and policy responses to COVID-19. According to the firm, the respondents were asked what their top business concerns were and 22.5% identified liquidity, that is, the availability of immediate cash to pay bills, especially following disruption to business activities that has been experienced, as one of their major concerns.

This was followed by 15.4% of the respondents, who expressed concern about the safety of the jobs of their staff, indicating that Nigerian businesses have a people-focused business philosophy and are not only concerned about their profitability. The third significant business concern identified by the business owners was infrastructure for remote working. 14.6% of the respondents expressed the concern, thereby buttressing the need for access to electricity and internet connectivity. Providing the results of the survey findings, Taiwo Oyedele, Fiscal Policy Partner and West Africa Tax leader at PwC, disclosed that most businesses (78.4%) did not plan to lay off staff as a result of the crisis. “This presents a very positive picture.

However, decisions on staff retention are often top management decisions and it could mean that a good percentage of respondents may not be privy to such plans by their organisations.” he said.

The survey further showed that the other 21.6% admitted that they will lay off various percentages of staff as a consequence of the pandemic. Of this group, however, 55.3% do not think government intervention will influence their decision on laying off staff with the rest indicating they would retain their employees if government’s intervention were able to take care of varying percentages of their staff wage bill. As part of its societal impact, PwC has indicated that it would provide free business continuity support services to small businesses employing between 5 and 50 employees who undertake to retain all their staff during this period.

It would appear that the much needed investments to stimulate growth and reduce the nation’s poverty level will be greatly impacted as a result of the COVID-19 crisis as 56.7% of respondents indicated that they will delay investment decisions while 19.4% stated that they would invest less. Majority of the survey respondents think that governments interventions have either been grossly inadequate (23.8%) or inadequate (43.9%) with 17.5% expressing indifference to what government has done up to the date of the survey.

Only 14.4% agree that government’s intervention has met their expectations. Oyedele said: “This provides a clear message to government both at the federal and state levels pointing either to the need to do more, or to better communicate what is being done already to help shape public perception.” Among the top two areas that respondents believe government’s intervention should be focused include tax relief (30%), provision of loans at zero or low interest rate (29.3%), and cash transfer to the poor (16.9%).

Overall, the businesses surveyed agreed that the private sector had a role to play in supporting government’s fight against Covid-19 with 85.5% suggesting that they are best suited to provide support in the area of provision of items, equipment and facilities compared to only 10.7% who will consider donating cash to government.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/covid-19-liquidity-job-safety-top-nigerian-businesses-concerns-pwc.html

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The late Bello is a son of a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Haliru Bello. But the news of her release filtered in on Thursday that President Muhammadu Buhari, who recently granted pardon to five inmates and clemency to another 2,593 prisoners, had pardoned her. Maryam Sanda still in custody In a response to Daily Trust’s inquiry, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) said Sanda was still in custody.

A statement by the NCoS spokesperson, Chucks Njoku said: “The attention of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has been drawn to the news making the rounds that Maryam Sanda was granted presidential pardon last week Thursday April 9th, 2020 alongside some 70 other inmates at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje. “The Service wants to categorically state that the news is fake and very unrealistic and an attempt to rubbish the good intention of the President towards decongesting the custodial centres.”

While addressing the press conference last week, the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola had clearly stated the categories of inmates qualified for the amnesty are: Convicts who are Sixty (60) years and above, convicts serving 3 years and above with less than 6 months to serve, inmates with ill-health likely to terminate in death, inmates with mental ill-health and inmates with option of fine not exceeding N50,000 with no pending case. Others are: Convicted pregnant women, convicted women with child, convicted inmates with minor offences and convicted inmates who spent 75% of their sentence after remission.

Njoku said Sanda did not meet any of the requirements and therefore did not benefit from the Presidential Pardon/Clemency. “We further want to assure the public that Maryam Sanda is in our custody and will remain as such,” he said, calling on the public to discountenance the rumor that Sanda benefited from the presidential pardon.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/has-husband-killer-maryam-sanda-received-presidential-pardon.html

The Nigerian Customs Service, Kano/Jigawa Command, has impounded smuggled rice and beans worth over N12m in Kano. A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Malam Isa Danbaba, said, “Despite the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent measures put in place by the Federal and State governments in form of lockdown and closure of entry point, it is unfortunate that desperate smugglers take advantage of the situation and engage in devising all possible methods in order to smuggle rice into Kano.”

Danbaba said on April 15, operatives of Command intercepted a truck loaded with 295 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each concealed under 351 bags of beans. “The Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized rice is N6,603,870, and N6,000,741 for beans. The total amount of seized items is N 12,704, 611,” he said.

He added that the seizure was made between Dawakin Tofa- Dawanau- Katsina road. He quoted the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Nasir Ahmed, to have warned smugglers to keep away from Kano permanently, saying his officers and men were ready to hit the ground running at all tim

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/rice-beans-worth-n12m-seized-in-kano.html

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The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Gida Mustapha, told Daily Trust in this exclusive interview, how the dreaded global coronavirus pandemic would affect the nation’s health care fortune. He also said the committee is not collecting or distributing money and donations but materials.


How has the COVID-19 impacted on governance in the country?

There is no doubt that the world is in the midst of an unprecedented catastrophic crisis because the Coronavirus is now the most significant public health emergency of international concern. It has spread across 209 countries and territories around the world. Now we have more than 1.7 million confirmed cases world-wide; 107,000 deaths while about 246,270 people have recovered from the disease.

Coronavirus has placed a considerable and significant strain on Nigeria and the global health care system and the global economy. Although the disease started in China and spread rapidly across Europe and the Americas, many African countries are now witnessing a rapid rise in the number of cases. By 9.30pm, April 11, 2020, Nigeria had recorded 318 cases and six fatalities. Coronavirus has spread to 19 states.

Globally, countries with advanced and sophisticated health systems are struggling to deal with the pandemic with heavy fatalities. We can be under no illusion that this is a national emergency and it is on all of us to work closely in solving this.

How do you assess the impact of the PTF on COVID-19 on the nation’s quest to tackle this virus so far?

The Presidential Task Force was inaugurated on 17 March as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari. So far, we have received the full support of the President which enabled us to record a number of achievements, especially high level political and multi-sectoral coordination for preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have seen a well co-ordinated inter-ministerial and inter-agency collaboration across all areas of the pandemic response which culminated in the development of a National Multi-Sectorial Pandemic Response Plan; engagement of all MDAs and extra-ministerial departments in the response; high level coordination of the United Nations agencies and other bilateral and multilateral partners as well as foundations and international bodies involved in the response.

So, the Task Force has done remarkably well. The pandemic has put lots of strain on the nation’s economy. How much support has the federal government received from home and abroad? Nigerians, individuals and corporate bodies, have responded in a fantastic manner. Our major industrialists and business concerns have donated huge sums of money and equipment in support of fighting the pandemic.

Last Monday, we unveiled the one Basket Fund initiated by the United Nations. This is to aggregate and coordinate all international financial, technical and manpower support for Nigeria in combating the pandemic. We have received donations from international philanthropists like Jack Ma, corporate bodies operating in Nigeria like the CCECC which brought a 15-member Chinese medical team and equipment. We have had high level engagement with the organised private sector with better coordination of their core competencies and expertise.

We have also engaged with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and Corporate Nigeria, mobilised by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Emphatically, all members of this committee are committed to transparency and accountability. Therefore, the PTF is not in anyway directly involved in the collection and disbursement of cash donations for COVID-19. The Accountant General of the Federation has already published in the newspapers the account details for collection through five commercial banks and also provided the modalities for its utilisation.

All the main COVID-19 accounts shall be domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria. However, all non-cash donations shall be duly received by the PTF. You were recently quoted as saying you were unaware of the rot in the nation’s health sector, which you denied the following day.

Kindly shed more light on this?

The pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to x-ray the inefficient state of our health care sector. The weaknesses in our health system became more glaring as we see how more established health systems in Europe and America buckled under pressure. On Thursday, at the National Assembly, I said I became fully aware of the state of our medical system during this assignment. This was misunderstood, but let me clarify that I am aware and have indeed been a champion for the reform and transformation of the healthcare system.

In my modest way, I have done a lot in my community, working with other people to uplift the healthcare system in my small community. However, this PTF assignment has afforded me the opportunity and I believe, all members of the committee, to dig deeper, interrogate and x-ray the system better. Before the lawmakers, I said the pandemic has provided for us the unique opportunity to review the healthcare system which is in dire need of reforms and funding.

It is regrettable that my views were completely misinterpreted. For the benefit of those who do not know me well, I come from rural Nigeria, was born in a village almost 64 years ago that had no hospital but a very small missionary dispensary, probably with one mid-wife. I had no birth certificate but a declaration of age. So, from birth, I knew the state of our medical system and am not a foreigner.

But since I have been serving on this committee, I have had a further insight into what is happening. Most of the things you see around are specialist hospitals or clinics.You just see the buildings without knowing what is inside. Serving on this committee has given me an opportunity of walking into these facilities and making observations on the supposed standard. And my conclusion is they don’t have what they ought to have.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/how-nigeria-health-sectorll-benefit-from-covid-19-pandemic-sgf.html

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Niger State government on Wednesday discharged 27 suspected COVID-19 patients who were placed on isolation, after testing negative to the deadly virus. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muhammad Makusidi, disclosed this to journalists while releasing the suspected cases at the Minna isolation centre. He explained that the suspected cases were among those who had contact with a primary suspected case in Makera, Mashegu local government area, whose result also came back negative.

The Commissioner explained that it is unnecessary keeping them in isolation after testing negative to the Virus, hence their release to reunite with their families. He added that another suspected case, who was picked up at Bay Clinic on receiving signal, has also been discharged as his result also tested negative.

He cleared the air on a suspected case at Stadium Junction Minna, saying the suspect was in transit from Onitsha to Kebbi State, but her body temperature and other vital signs were taken before she was allowed to proceed to her destination even as the appropriate authorities in Kebbi State have also been notified. The commissioner said the state has so far attended to 20 signals, with seven persons still currently in isolation at the centre in Minna, while few other individuals have been permitted to be in self-isolation at their homes.

On the index case, Makusidi said that he is stable and receiving treatment at the isolation and treatment centre at the General Hospital. He, however, urged the public to disregard any report of another positive case in the state that was not announced by the appropriate authority, and appealed to them to desist from disseminating fake news on CONVID-19 in order not to create stigma.

He called on the public to continue to obey the rules and regulation as directed by health professionals and the state government, adding that the sensitization being carried out to avoid contracting the virus had been helpful.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/niger-discharges-27-covid-19-suspects-earlier-quarantined.html

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