The Nigerian government has confirmed that it will receive the first tranche of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday.

Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha  disclosed this on Saturday in Abuja, the Nation’s capital. 

Boss Mustapha, who also doubles as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), explained that the first shipment of  3,924,000 million doses of covid-19 vaccines is coming from COVAX, a World Health Organization (WHO) backed initiative set up to procure and ensure equitable distribution of vaccines for free among countries across the globe.

“I can assure you that the vaccines are coming and they are coming very quickly barring any change in the delivery plan that has been released to us by UNICEF,” the SGF said, exactly one year after the virus was reported in the West African nation.

The SGF continued , “We believe that our vaccines should depart India on the 1st of March, 2021 at 10:30 pm and arrive in Abuja on the 2nd of March by 11:10 am.”

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire had earlier confirmed that Nigeria will be getting the COVAX vaccine in March, and explained that the Federal Government is targeting to vaccinate 70 percent of the population. 

“We have been told to open an account with Afreximbank under the African Union; we have done that already successfully because we are going to pay for that part of the vaccine. The COVAX vaccine is free, at no cost to us, it is made from donations,” the minister had explained during a briefing with journalists

“We want to immunise about 60 to 70% of our population. If COVAX immunises 20, then we have about 40 to 50 to immunise within the next two years”,  he said

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Mustapha, who disclosed this on Tuesday, said the cases were recorded from all states across the country.

“In continuation of the NYSC engagement, the PTF has conducted the testing of Batch B Corpers using RDTs.

“Out of the 35,419 in the Batch B, 731 tested positive compared to 108 recorded during the Batch A.

“It is on record that cases were recorded from Corps Members from every State of the Federation”, the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force On COVID-19 added.

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NCDC stated this  during a briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

According to the Centre’s Director-General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu,  Nigerians have refused to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols, causing the national response to pass through a challenging phase.

He said, “Unfortunately, January will be a tough month for all of us,” the NCDC boss said. “Event centers are full; our treatment centers are filling up. We are struggling to keep up, we are struggling to find the facilities to manage, the oxygen to manage.

“Every night we are faced with phone calls of patients desperate for care.  It will be tough but we still have an opportunity to do what we need to do by liaising with the executive governors of states across the country to be more purposeful in implementing the measures that we have agreed on collectively.

“We have seen some of them doing that. But many of the states in the country haven’t and pretend as if there will be no consequence”, Ihekweazu submitted.

Also, the Secretary to the Federal Government, Boss Mustapha, has announced that effective from January the 1st, 2021, the name of passengers who miss their post-arrival PCR Test would be published in the national dailies.

The federal government scribe said the passports of the first 100 passengers that fail to take their test will be published in the national dailies and be suspended till June 2021, as a deterrent.

“With effect from 1st January 2021 the passports of the first 100. passengers that failed to take their day seven post-arrival PCR test will be published in the national dailies.

“The passports, as deterrence, will also be suspended till June 2021. At the beginning of my remarks, I underscored the issue of oxygen availability as critical to the success of case management.

“There is an on-going review of the chain for the supply of medical oxygen for our medical facilities across the nation.

“While we work on immediate measures, we wish to express our appreciation to Mr. Raj Gupta and Abuja Steel Mills for bridging the gap in oxygen requirements in Abuja with at least 100 cylinders of medical oxygen daily for the next three months, as part of the contributions of CACOVID”, he continued.

Mustapha, who is also the PTF Chairman, asked the sub-nationals to reopen all laboratories and begin scaling up testing, while condemning delays in results and the inability of laboratories to function optimally, in spite of available funds.

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Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, on Monday disclosed this at the daily briefing of the task force in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

According to Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the government has approved the safe resumption of domestic flights in the country.

He added that the Federal Government also approved the safe reopening of schools nationwide, as part of plans for the second phase of the eased lockdown.

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This was disclosed on Friday by the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

He added that both appointments take effect from May 29, 2019.

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According to a  statement issued  by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, quoted a circular issued by Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), that the reports should be submitted to the Presidential Audit Committee in the office of the Vice President.

The circular also requested that members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to; “ensure that all outstanding memoranda they intend to present to the Federal Executive Council are submitted to the Cabinet Affairs Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not later than Tuesday, 30th April, 2019.”

The circular further pointed out that the 9th and 10th meetings of the council have been rescheduled to Thursday, April 25 and Thursday, May 2, 2019, respectively” in view of the Easter break and May Day.

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