Osinbajo chairs FG/States special committee

In a collective effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria, state governors under the auspices of the National Economic Council (NEC) have set up a Special Committee to coordinate federal and state governments’ responses to the coronavirus pandemic.

The committee, which started deliberations immediately after the NEC meeting on Thursday, is chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo with the Governors of Jigawa, Edo, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Kebbi and Ogun States as members.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, said the establishment of the Special Committee, mandated to coordinate the responses of the Federal Government and states especially as it relates to the socio-economic implications of the pandemic on Nigerians, was the major outcome of the council meeting.

The statement said the council meeting featured several presentations on COVID-19 ranging from the economic to financial and public health dimensions, saying NEC also strongly recommended that public gatherings should be discouraged.

According to the statement, NEC encouraged state governments to respectively work out the maximum numbers in any large gathering, including schools, social gatherings and worship centres.

Briefing NEC on COVID-19 and Nigeria’s response, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunimbe Mamora and the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, noted that as at March 17, 2020, 152 countries had been confirmed to have coronavirus cases.