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Tag: #Boss Mustapha

  • Presidency Warn Against Rush In Reopening Of Schools.

    Presidency Warn Against Rush In Reopening Of Schools.

    By Admin

    The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has warned states against rush in reopening of schools saying such action have escalated COVID-19 management situation in some other countries.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the PTF, Boss Mustapha, who spoke on Monday August 31 in Abuja during briefing said it would be in the best interest of Nigeria to stick to it’s slow phased of easing the lockdown rules because it was effective. “It is in the above context that the PTF appreciates the on-going calls for re-opening of the education sector and indeed some sub-nationals are already making preparations for such”  Said Boss Mustapha.

    “Whilst the PTF does not discourage making such preparations, we need to be guided by experiences from countries such as Germany, France, the United States and the UK where opening of schools in some cities led to an increase in confirmed cases and fatalities.”

    Mustapha maintained that some sectors of the economy may soon be reopened, and that the PTF would present its recommendations to President Muhammadu Buhari this week, which will determine the next phase in the national response.

    According to Boss, the last three weeks had shown a downward report in the number of confirmed Coronavirus cases in the country, as in the last four months of testing, the lowest daily figure of confirmed cases (138) was reported on Sunday August 30th, 2020.

  • Breaking News: NMA Cross River Branch Suspends Total And Indefinite Withdrawal Of Medical Services

    Breaking News: NMA Cross River Branch Suspends Total And Indefinite Withdrawal Of Medical Services

     

    By Elijah Ugani- Calabar

    The Nigerian Medical Association, Cross River branch has suspended it total and indefinite withdrawal of medical services across the state, following the resolution of the meeting by the 17 man committee sent by the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 to resolve all lingering issues, the Cross River ministry of health and NMA.

    NMA in a communique made available to TheLumineNews, jointly signed by the President and Secretary of the association, Drs. Ayuk Agam and Ezoke Epoke calls on the state ministry of health to keep to and respect all resolutions reached during the 17 man delegation visit.

    Find full text of the communique.

    NMACRS/SG/2020/07/259
    7th July, 2020

    COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE NIGERIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, CROSS RIVER STATE BRANCH AT THE END OF AN EMERGENCY GENERAL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 7TH JULY, 2020

    PREAMBLE
    The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Cross River State branch held an Emergency General Meeting on Tuesday July 7, 2020 to appraise the issues that led to the withdrawal of medical services by the Association.

    The Association made the following observations and resolutions:

    1) We are most grateful to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha and the Honorable Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Enahire for the timely 17-member delegation from the Presidential Task Force (PTF) and Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) led by the Executive Director/CEO National Primary Health Care Development Agency Dr. Faisal Shuaib that arrived Calabar on 6th July, 2020 to set up a COVID-19 response strategy in Cross River State that will align with the national response.

    2) We deeply appreciate the Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu for the activation of two (2) COVID-19 Test Centres at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and Lawrence Henshaw Memorial Hospital, Calabar.

    3) We also appreciate the NMA President Prof. I.A.O. Ujah (mni), the National Officers’ Committee and members of NMA for their support to NMA Cross River State.

    4) The Association welcomes the official recognition of the five (5) COVID-19 confirmed cases from the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital by NCDC which has resolved the lingering uncertainties negatively impacting public health and safety and has provided clarity on the COVID-19 status of Cross River State and the required response strategy.

    5) We enjoin the Cross River State Government to keep to the resolutions of the meeting held between PTF/FMOH COVID-19 delegation, Nigerian Medical Association – Cross River State branch and the Cross River State Ministry of Health signed on July 7, 2020.

    6) The Association hereby suspends the total and indefinite withdrawal of medical services in all public and private hospitals in Cross River State with effect from today, 7th July, 2020.

    7) We appeal to citizens of Cross River State to follow the NCDC guidelines on infection prevention and control, while reinforcing our commitment to working with the Federal and State Governments to contain the spread of COVID-19.

    8) We sincerely thank the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Ikpeme A. Ikpeme and Management of University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, the Immediate Past NMA 2nd Vice President, Dr. Ofem Enang, Immediate Past Chairman, Dr. Effiong Mkpanam, Past Chairmen of the Association, distinguished Medical Elders and members of Nigerian Medical Association, Cross River State branch.

    9) We appreciate the media and citizens of Cross River State for their understanding, patience and support during this challenging period.

    Dr. Agam E. Ayuk
    State Chairman

    Dr. Ezoke Epoke
    State Secretary

  • Federal Government Hands Over Covid 19 Battle To States

    Federal Government Hands Over Covid 19 Battle To States

    The Nation News Paper

    The Federal Government has pushed the battle to contain Coronavirus to states and communities, Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the pandemic, Mr. Boss Mustapha, said on Sunday.

    According to him, the Federal Government will henceforth only provide supervision and coordination.

    Mustapha, the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), spoke on Sunday at the State House after members of the PTF briefed President Muhammadu Buhari and discussed their recommendations on the next phase of the battle.

    With him at the briefing were Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire; National Coordinator of the PTF Dr. Sani Aliyu; Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Dr. Chikwe Ihekwaezu, and Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola.

    Mustapha said: “The ownership of the next stage will be the responsibility of the states because we have gone into community transmission.

    ”Where are the communities? The communities are in the states. So, the ownership of the next stage will be the responsibility of the states, the local government, the traditional institutions, the religious leaders at the different levels of our communities, because that is where the problem is.

    ”Like we’ve kept saying, 20 local governments out of 774, account for 60 per cent of confirmed cases in Nigeria today. So where are these 20 local governments? They are in communities. It means we have reached the apex of community transmission and we must get the communities involved.

    ”So, the issues of places of worship, the issues of schools, the issues of some certain businesses that were not opened hitherto are part of the packages that we have looked at and we have made the appropriate recommendations, but you know that Mr President is the only one that can take decisions in respect of these.

    ”In the framework, the states are subnationals, they have their own responsibilities too, so it is in the exercise of those responsibilities that they had meetings with those religious bodies and agreed on the guidelines and protocols on how they can open up, but in the framework of the national response, we are taking that into consideration”, he said.

    According to him, Nigeria had reached the critical stage of community transmission, adding that communities were under the supervision of the council areas, under which structure the communities fall.

    He said there would also be the full involvement of traditional and religious institutions, adding that managing the health crisis at this point had melted down into the more complex community level.

    The PTF chairman said the advice on the reopening of the economy and worship centres had been delivered to President Muhammadu Buhari who will take the decision likely to be communicated to Nigerians today.

    ”That’s part of what we have considered in its totality. We would await Mr President’s decision on that, once I receive his approval, going forward, as to certain recommendations we have put in place, we will see how that happens.

    ”The issue of easing up, you know we are in the first phase, we had an extension of two weeks for the first phase, the next phase should be the second phase and along with that will come in with a lot of recommendations, which we expect Mr President to consider.

  • Corona Virus: No Cure Has Been Found Yet -Mustapha

    Corona Virus: No Cure Has Been Found Yet -Mustapha

     

     

    By Elijah Ugani – Calabar

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force PTF on Civic-19, Boss Mustapha, says no cure has been found for coronavirus.

    Mustapha stated this at the PTF daily media briefing on Friday in Abuja.

    He maintained that everybody is only trying to lay hands on possible drugs.

    The PTF Chairman opined that even countries with big economies are yet to find a cure for the virus.

    His words “We have seen many postulations but nobody can beat his chest and say I have found a cure. We are looking at home remedy and if we find, then we can beat our chest that the solution emerges from here”

    He assured the PTF would keep the agenda of a local solution in focus.