The Federal Executive Council (FEC) chaired through President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday approved 8.490 million naira for the acquisition of 12 pieces in other quantities for the coronavirus pandemic through the Nigeria Disease Control Center (NCDC).
Health Minister Dr. Osagie Ehanire informed House correspondents of the effects of the XI Council’s virtual meeting, held in the Council Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to him, the approval will allow the NCDC to purchase COVID-19 and diagnostic kits for the federation’s 774 local government spaces.
He said: “The Minister of Health presented a note on behalf of the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) to acquire devices to prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging all regions of the world, adding our country.
“This is a component of ongoing network transmission readiness that has affected 586 local government spaces and we want appliances to expand our diagnostic capabilities.
“This memorandum is the result of the COVID-19 Presidential Working Group and a special intervention for COVID-19, which is controlled through the Presidential Working Group that these resources for the preparation of the NCDC.
“Therefore, we purchase device sample verification devices directly from other diagnostic kits in our laboratory formula to respond well to the transmission phase of the network.
“We have already planned to have at least one pattern collection site in local government, at least 774 and those resources would be needed to make an excursion to local government 774 to ensure that other people living in rural areas or small towns are not excluded. And make sure you don’t just take care of the big cities.
The Minister also rejected the claim that THE TFP had intentionally ignored the use of the immediate diagnostic check in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that the check was being used in the country.
However, he said the check was not very reliable, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other experts.
He said: “No one thinks of an immediate diagnostic checkup, it is used worldwide even in Nigeria today, however, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other experts have stated that this check is very reliable and has also yielded a significant amount of false positives or false negatives.
“So if you move to a position where a percentage of the result can give you a bad result, then you should be careful. While the PRCArray, the chain polymerization ReactionArray is accurate and reliable.
“So those who do the quick check now, if it is positive, have to approve it and verify it with the PRC because the accuracy is questionable. Some of them have 60% accuracy, meaning 40% will be fake, others 20% are fake, so Immediate Diagnostic Control (TDR) is not yet officially used in Nigeria.
“But personally I believe that as they continue to improve in a few months, we will be able to use it. In the meantime, we only use the reliable maximum, namely the PCR.”
Ehanire also frowned at reports of COVID-19 protocols during the ongoing political campaigns in Edo and the funeral rites of Senator Buruji Kashamu in Ogun.
“It has been shown that wearing a mask saves many lives and we will continue to insist that others assume their non-public responsibilities.
“We are intensifying our verbal exchange with subnationals, governors and local government presidents because everyone has to take responsibility.
“So our rules remain the same: dress in a mask, avoid mass gatherings, maintain social distance, maintain very smart hygiene, wash hands, hand sanitizers.
“Because recently no vaccine or medicine to treat COVID-19 is known. If someone says dressing in a mask is inconvenient, let them see a fan, know.
“We are all opinion-makers and others take what we say, not those who went to the crusade in Edo or those who attended the funeral rites of Kashamu.
‘It’s so sad that one of my colleagues said he went home and wore a mask and they think he’s the one with the problem.
“In some parts of the country, they say that anyone who wears a mask has COVID-19, they don’t have it. So I think we all deserve to take on duty personally.”
Environment Minister Alhaji Muhammed Mahmoud also told correspondents that the Council had the National Action Plan for Gender Equality on Planetary Change Policy.
According to him, the places of precedence of the general gender action plan are: agriculture, forestry, health, water and sanitation, energy, transport.
He said civil society organizations (CSOs), universities, foreign organizations and other relevant stakeholders would all be in the gender equality action plan.
“Today we present a note on the National Action Plan for Gender Equality on the Changing Planet. The planet’s replacement affects everyone around the world, like here in Nigeria.
“This affects men, women and children, however, we have found that women are most affected by global replacement and the goal of this policy is to integrate gender into the action plan for global replacement.
“What does it mean to integrate gender? Women who bear the highest burdens means that we will take special steps to make women engage in action activities for the planet from the beginning, design, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects.
“We will also involve women in the decision-making process. We will also seek to have women dragged into the unrest of global replacement and also in spaces where women are predominantly involved, such as in agricultural activities.
“The 70 consistent with the percentage of agricultural activities involve women. Therefore, some of the places of precedence of the Gender Equality Action Plan are agriculture, forestry, health, water and sanitation, energy, transport; and the same specific spaces are also the spaces that bring up the assembly of our indexes.
“This is the national contribution decided to the Paris Agreement. This means that through these sectors, we can reduce emissions in Nigeria and therefore bring together our indices as we committed to the Paris Agreement.”
Mahmoud argued that Nigeria had already committed to reducing its emissions by 20% by 2020 and its emissions by 45% by 2030.
However, the Minister said nigeria would like the assistance of foreign organizations to meet this commitment. (YAYA)
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