By Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19 End-Term Review Report, and transitioning of the taskforce to a Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 effective April 1 2021 till 31st December 2021.
The PSC will now meet once a month but will keep the nation informed on regular basis.
Chairman of PTF on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, at a media briefing said the president has considered the report and has approved the following:
“That the PTF will transition to a Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, effective from 1 April 2021, with a modified mandate to reflect the non-emergent status of COVID-19 as a potentially long-term pandemic;
“That the structure of the PSC shall reflect the new focus of the response with a targeted approach on vaccine oversight, risk communication, international travel quarantine processes and sub-national engagement; and That the tenure of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) shall last till 31st December, 2021.”
Mustapha said the PSC going forward would: “maintain the present constitution, functions and strategies of the PTF; be supported by a slim technical and administrative structure.
The SGF said President Buhari has also approved that the current National Incident Manager Dr. Mukhtar Mohammed to formally take over from the National Coordinator and function as the Head Technical Secretariat and member of the PSC.
He said the PSC will maintain Policy/Leadership Secretariat from the OSGF that will sustain institutional memory and records; and a private sector supported Transition Consultant that will sustain the multi-sectoral relations and policy guidance; coordinate the Vaccine Roll out, deployment and administration; improve on the multi-sectoral systems; meet less frequently while maintaining effective communication with Nigerians; monitor and audit on going systems, reforms and infrastructure development in the health sector.