Presidential Task Force
Official: ICPC investigating cases of coronavirus fraud
File Photo The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it is investigating alleged cases of corruption in the management of COVID-19 funds and palliatives. The commission’s Director of Operations, Mr Akeem Lawal, disclosed this during a virtual meeting of stakeholders on the topic, “COVID-19 Funds Management and Monitoring”, on Thursday. In a presentation titled, “ICPC Monitoring Obligation and Strategy Re: COVID-19 Emergency”, Lawal said the cases include alleged fraud by some participating public institution in the release and distribution of grains from strategic food reserve. Others, according to him, include alleged infractions in the procurement of COVID-19 palliatives and logistics and community enlightenment activities. The ICPC official, who...
Kano clarifies on ongoing work at Sani Abatcha isolation centre
Kano State Government on Tuesday said the delay in the early completion of the Sani Abacha Stadium (SAS) Isolation Centre was necessitated by the review of the project initial plan. Malam Muhammad Garba, the state Commissioner of Information, made the clarification in a statement in Kano. Garba, who was reacting to a viral social media video clip on the project, dismissed the footage as a “mischievous attempt to misrepresent facts on the ongoing installation works at the isolation centre, donated by the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID). The project, which was initiated in April, was designed with a 500-bed capacity for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the three and a half minutes video clip, showed ongoing installation works at the isolation c...
Nigeria’s president urges farmers to increase food production
President Muhammadu Buhari has advised Nigerian farmers to increase their food production as Nigeria has ‘no money’ for food importation. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, Nigeria has restricted food importation as the country strived to produce a lot of the food it consumes. The country also shut its borders with neighbouring countries, largely to prevent the importation and smuggling of items such as rice, poultry and petrol. The borders are still shut but were also closed to human traffic following the coronavirus pandemic, although smuggling and other illegal activities still go on with the connivance of corrupt security officials. Buhari gave his advice to the farmers while addressing journalists after observing this year’s ‘Eid’ prayer at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on Sunda...
Central bank reschedules MPC meeting over holidays
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has rescheduled it’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting from Monday and Tuesday May 25 and 26 to Thursday, May 28. The CBN Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday. Okorafor explained that the rescheduling of the meeting was due to the declaration of May 25 and May 26 as public holidays by the Federal Government to commemorate the Eid-el Fitr. He said for the avoidance of doubt, CBN had put necessary machinery in place for the meeting to now hold for only one day on account of the ongoing COVID-19 national lockdown. He added that this step taken was also to align this meeting with the extant rules of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and advisories from other rel...
Nigeria begs to traders not to hike prices
The Federal Government has appealed to traders not to hike prices of food items and transportation as the country battles to contain the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, made the appeal at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 daily news briefing on Thursday in Abuja. He said it was necessary that market women and men understood the enormity of the time regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that there is a need to show compassion to all Nigerians by not hiking prices of foodstuff and services. The minister said that this period was a time to give back to society while calling on Nigerians not to take the opportunity of COVID-19 to further oppress other Nigerians. “This is a time people are giving back to s...
PTF: Nigeria unaware of €170,000 cost for Madagascar herbal mixture
Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 pandemic, Boss Mustapha, has said he was not aware of any cost paid for the Madagascar herbal mixture. Mustapha was responding to a question on reports that Nigeria had been asked to pay €170,000 for the Madagascar herbal mixture delivered to President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday by the visiting President of Guinea Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo. He said he had taken delivery of the solution sent to Nigeria as well as other African countries by Madagascar without request without any invoice. “In terms of the question of whether it comes with a cost. It was handed to me without an invoice so I assume it doesn’t come with a cost. “That’s my assumption. For that, I think the Madagasc...
House of Reps queries health minister on whereabouts of Chinese doctors
Lawmakers at the House of Representatives have questioned the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, demanding activities and whereabouts of the Chinese doctors. The lawmakers at their plenary on Tuesday said they are not satisfied with the statement of the Minister that the Chinese doctors are not guests of the Federal Ministry of Health but that of a Chinese firm in Abuja. The resolution of the House stems from a motion of urgent public importance raised by Representative Dachung Bagos. The House, in a separate motion, also resolved to investigate the status of medical and pharmaceutical research in the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria. They expressed worry that Nigerian scientists and researchers have not been given the necessary support and funding for medical research. The Minister o...
PDP raps SGF Mustapha, President Buhari over coronavirus broadcast
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has criticized President Muhammadu Buhari for not announcing the extension of gradual lockdown ease himself. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, had yesterday announced the extension in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States. The president was expected to address Nigerians on Monday as the cases of coronavirus surged sharply since the gradual easing of the lockdown kicked off on May 4. Aliyu Sani, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 announced on Sunday that the president will address the nation. It was expected to be the president’s third broadcast since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic but the Presidency stated that none was planned. Special...
CCECC: 15 Chinese medical experts are in our care
Mr Michael Yigao, Managing Director, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria Ltd, says the 15 Chinese medical experts that arrived in the country on April 8 are in the company’s care. Yigao made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja while reacting to questions raised by the media and opposition parties on May 14, as to the whereabouts of the Chinese medical team. This followed comment by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, that the experts, who reportedly came into Nigeria to support the fight against COVID-19, were not his guests but those of CCECC. Ehanire, while responding to questions at the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing May 14, said “the medical personnel are not guests of the Federal Government but that of the construction company”. Yigao...
PTF: Stop stigmatisation of coronavirus patients
Worried by the negative impacts on the society, the Presidential Task Force on Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic has warned the public to desist from stigmatization of Covid-19 patients. This warning was given on Friday by Dr. Sani Aliyu, PTF National Coordinator, during the daily press briefing in Abuja. He lamented the growing cases of stigmatization of Covid-19 patients, saying that this state of affairs will not augur well for the fight against the pandemic in Nigeria. “Stigmatization of Covid-19 patients can only make many who have the disease to go underground and by that singular act the virus will continue to spread. When we stigmatize people who have contracted the virus it is obvious that many other people will be afraid to come clean. The carriers will be afraid to come forward fo...
SGF: Nigeria did not request for Madagascar herbal medicine
The Nigerian government has said it did not request for COVID-Organics, a herbal medicine used by Madagascar to treat COVID-19 patients. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, made this known at the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing on Thursday. Mr Mustapha said the medicine was offered as a general gesture of ‘brotherly love’ from the Malagasy government to all African countries. “Nigeria did not ask Madagascar for any solution, the Madagascar government decided to airlift quantities meant for African countries. ”It was taken in the spirit of African brotherly love to Guinea Bissau and we have asked our ambassador there to establish the location, the quantity and he has done that,” he said. Mr Mustapha, at a past briefing, had noted that t...
Nigeria to receive Madagascar ‘herbal coronavirus medicine’
Nigeria is expected to receive samples of COVID-Organics, a herbal medicine used by Madagascar to treat COVID-19 patients. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, made this known at the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing on Monday. Mustapha said the medicine has been sent to Guinea Bissau from where it will be sent to different countries. “The herbal medicine has been freighted to Guinea Bissau by the president of Madagascar and certain allocations have been made to different countries. “We have an indication of the quantity that has been allocated to Nigeria and we are supposed to make an arrangement to freight it out of Guinea Bissau to Nigeria,” he said. Since its launch by the President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, in April, the use of the h...
