Nasarawa COVID-19 task force spends over N700m, under watch

Faith Awa Maji, Lafia

Deputy Chairman of the task force in the State who is the State Commissioner for Health, Pharmacist Ahmed Baba Yahaya, made the figures known when the committee appeared before the State House of Assembly Ad-hoc committee on COVID-19 in Lafia.

He said that the committee has taken proactive steps toward curtailing the virus in the state saying, it has so far the sum of N700, 638,568.08 has been expended in the fight against the  Coronavirus in the state.

“The committee in the course of the execution of its assignment, took far reaching measures towards the control of the spread of the pandemic in the state.

“The State Government has established isolation centres and equipped them with facilities in order to control the spread of the pandemic”.

He noted that, the State has recorded cases of coronavirus as most of the confirmed cases have been discharged while others are being managed in the Isolation centres in the state.

Pharmacist Baba Yahaya also told the committee that the State Government has received cash donations, medical and other equipment from some organizations to fight COVID-19 in the State.

He said that the Federal Government also donated trucks of rice, palm oil and other condiments as palliative to the State which has been distributed in the state..

The committee Deputy Chairman commended Gov.Abdullahi Sule for taken proactive steps in tackling the spread of the pandemic in the country.

Earlier, Hon Abdullahi Angibi, the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee said that the committee was set up to monitor the activities of the state Task Force on COVID-19.

“This committee was set up not to witch hunt anybody but to monitor your activities, hence the need for your invitation to brief us on your activities so far, ” he said.

Hon Angibi said the House would do everything humanly possible to support the State Government in the fight against COVID-19 in the State.

Some of the committee members, who spoke during the meeting urged the State Task Force to be more proactive in the area of sensitising the people on the danger of the scourge and enforcement of COVID-19 protocols in the state.

It would be recalled that on July 28, 2020, the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has constituted a six-member Ad- hoc committee to monitor the activities of the State Task Force on COVID-19.

The constitution of the committee followed a motion to that effect moved by Hon Daniel Ogazi (APC-Kokona East), under matters of urgent public importance, supported by Ibrahim Muluku (APC-Nasarawa Eggon East).

The Assembly Speaker, Ibrahim  Balarabe Abdullahi who later announced the constitution of the committee said that the measure would enable the House to have a feedback on the activities of the taskforce committee on COVID-19.

Members of the House ad-hoc committee on the State Task Force Committee on COVID-19 are, Abdullahi Angibi of Lafia Central Constituency as the Chairman of the committee and Usman Labaran Shafa of Toto/Gadabuke constituency as the Vice Chairman.

Others are Ibrahim Muluku, Daniel Ogazi, Abdulaziz Danladi, Suleiman Yakubu and the Secretary of the committee is Safiya Balarabe.