By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 Pandemi, Boss Mustapha has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari is pleased with the work of the body set up to lead country’s fight against the dreaded virus ravaging the world.
Mustapha who is also the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) made this revelation on Sunday in Abuja while speaking to the State House Correspondents after the PTF leadership visited President Buhari at the Presidential Villa Abuja to brief him on their activities.
He said, “this is part of a routine exercise. I think this is about the third time that we have had cause to submit an interim report to him on our activities as task force and also to update him on preparation for the other phases of engagement.
“And we have supplied him with all the materials that is required to look at the issues. Because, we are in for the long hurl, this is not a short distance race, is a marathon and we have to keep everything in perspective. But remember on the 27th of April, he addressed the nation and in place the easing down of the lockdown effective from the 4th of May. from the 4th of May to date is about 13 days, tomorrow we should expect new processes to be put in place. But we have to give him all the material details will help us in preparing for the future. So that is why we are here.
Asked what the President’s response was, the PTF chairman said:
“Well, the president expressed his satisfaction that in spite of the difficulties and the fact that as a nation, we lack the capable infrastructure looking at what is happening to the developed world, where countries that have traditionally established health institutions with all the palliatives, with all the privileges, with all the schemes that guide its people have crumble as a result of COVID-19, we are still standing and doing our best under the circumstances to ensure that we provide the necessary direction.
“So he expressed his satisfaction with the PTF, the minister of health and Nigeria centre for disease control, which are integral part of the taskforce and all the multi-sectoral ministries and are involved in this work – the armed forces, the police, the kind of cooperation we have received from them, without them we wouldn’t have recorded the modest successes that we have achieved. So he expressed his appreciation that have contributed to where we are today.
Our numbers are going up but you have to consider that our mortality too is not as drastic as it’s being expected.
