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FG urges unified efforts against emerging COVID-19 threats
The Federal Government has called for unified efforts by stakeholders to tackle the emerging COVID-19 variants in the country.
Prof. Muhammed Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Development, made the call in Abuja on Thursday, at a strategic meeting on COVID-19 preparedness and response.
The meeting was organised by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), following the recent emergence of a new COVID-19 variant in China and subsequent international concerns about the spread of the deadly virus.
The Tide source reports that NEMA conveyed the strategic stakeholders meeting to discuss preparedness, response plans, and proactive measures within Nigeria’s national context against the virus.
The minister, represented by a Director in Public Health Department at the Ministry, Mrs Chidinma Agbai, highlighted the devastating global impact of the pandemic and Nigeria’s resilience in spite of initial dire predictions.
He warned against misinformation and urged collaboration among stakeholders, including health officials and the media, to strengthen border controls and revive pandemic response infrastructure.
“A couple of months, the global world became affected one way or the other. you saw the number of people that were lost. They were counted in millions, people that were lost through COVID-19.
“You also saw the countermeasures that were taken by various countries. And surprisingly, those of us in Africa and Nigeria in particular, were expected to count our dead in millions. But God being our helper, It did not consume so much.
“But one life is a serious loss to a nation. So many Nigerians lost their lives, not really because of COVID-19, but because of countermeasures,” he said.
According to him, during the last COVID-19 and Ebola, people were told to take salt. Some people were told to take potash. So many countermeasures were introduced, and a lot of people lost their lives.
“So, now again in this harmattan period, we have to be careful because COVID-19 started in the harmattan period too, in the past years, it has reared its head again in China.
“This time around, it’s a mutant type that has come up. And China, being what it is, is keeping quiet. They don’t want to raise alarm as to what they are experiencing.
“They’ve closed their doors to various appeals for them to speak up.
“So for us in Nigeria, we have to put deliberate efforts to ensure that those who are coming into Nigeria, or those who are leaving the country, are protected,” he said.
He emphasised the importance of agencies such as the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and others in ensuring that the country’s borders were under surveillance.
He urged that similar measure taken to curtail Ebola some years back should be applied at the airports, the land borders and the sea ports to secure the lives of Nigerians.
The minister also called for renewed efforts in vaccine development and public education to prevent panic and safeguard lives.
The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, in her remarks called for proactive planning, collaboration, and resource mobilisation to safeguard the country’s public health emergencies.
Umar, who was represented by the Director, Planning Research and Forecasting, Mr Onimode Bandele, said that the meeting was crucial amid global concerns.
The director-general stressed the importance of information sharing, transparency, and a unified approach in addressing the challenge.
“The recent COVID-19 situation emerging from China serves as a stark reminder that public health emergency recognises no borders.
“In today’s interconnected world, a health threat in one country has the potential to impact nations across continents.
“While Nigeria is not directly affected at the moment, proactive planning, preparedness, and collaboration are essential to safeguarding our citizens and mitigating any potential risk.
“In line with this mandate, NEMA aims to be number one to share insight and update on the current global COVID-19 situation and its potential implication for Nigeria,” she said.
Umar also reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment to effective disaster management and urged unified efforts to maintain Nigeria’s resilience against global health threats.
On his part, Mr Hopewell Munyari, Operations Manager, International Federation of Red cross, urged Nigerians to learn from the COVID-19 response to improve future emergency efforts.
Munyari underscored the Nigerian Red Cross’s role as an auxiliary to government, actively working on responses like Lassa fever and mFox outbreaks.
He also called for leveraging global Red Cross networks and volunteers to enhance preparedness and ensure timely, reliable communication with communities.
The Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board says it has begun the compilation of list of retired civil servants who have defaulted on the full repayment of housing loans obtained.
Head of Information and Public Relations, FGSHLB, Mrs Ngozi Obiechina, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
Obiechina quoted the Executive Secretary of the Board, Mrs Salamatu Ahmed, as saying that the move was aimed at recovering mortgaged properties from retirees who failed to meet their loan obligations.
Ahmed noted that the decision followed a recent memo issued by Mrs Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to her, the memo reminded public servants of the mandatory requirement to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness to the FGSHLB and MDA Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society as a precondition for retirement.
The Executive Secretary said that the board would take necessary legal steps to repossess properties where applicable, in line with the terms of the loan agreements.
She said this was in line with the provisions of the Public Service Rules 021002 (p), issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
“I am directed to bring to your attention the provision of Public Service Rule (PSR) 021002 (p), which mandates all public servants to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness as a prerequisite for retirement.
“The Federal Government will commence the seizure of mortgaged properties belonging to retiring federal public servants who have failed to fully repay housing loans obtained from the board,” she said.
Ahmed explained that the FGSHLB reserves the legal right to repossess any mortgaged property in cases where a public servant exits service without fully repaying the loan.
She reiterated that the directive also applied to already retired officers who were still indebted.
She urged all affected public servants to regularise their loan status and obtain the required clearance certificate without delay.
“The board is currently compiling a list of such retirees, which will be forwarded to relevant regulatory agencies for debt recovery.
“The FGSHLB remains committed to enforcing compliance and ensuring proper loan recovery procedures are followed, “ she added.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
“The expectations are high, and the responsibility is immense. But with commitment and teamwork, we can deliver a more efficient, accountable, and citizen-centred public service.
“This final lap of FCSSIP 25 calls for urgency, accountability, and strategic focus. You must translate vision into measurable results,” she stated.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, described the programme as a strategic investment in leadership capacity and institutional effectiveness.
The sessions featured expert-led discussions, simulations, and strategic briefings facilitated by a distinguished faculty, including Engr. Suleiman Adamu, former Minister of Water Resources; Dr. Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination; Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice; Alh. Yusuf Addy, retired Federal Director; Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Amb. Mustapha Lawal Suleiman, Mr. Adesola Olusade, and Dr. Ifeoma Anagbogu, all retired Permanent Secretaries.
Participants include Dr. Obi Emeka Vitalis, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, Mr. Danjuma Mohammed Sanusi, Mr. Olusanya Olubunmi, Dr. Keshinro Maryam Ismaila, Dr. Akujobi Chinyere Ijeoma, Dr. Umobong Emanso Okop, Dr. Isokpunwu Christopher Osaruwanmwen, Mrs. Oyekunle N. Patience, Dr. Kalba U. Danjuma, Mr. Nadungu Gagare, Mr. Onwusoro I. Maduka, Dr. Usman Salihu Aminu, Mr. Ogbodo Chinasa Nnam, Mr. Ndiomu Ebiogeh Philip, Dr. Anuma N. Ogbonnaya, Mr. Adeladan Rafiu Olaninre, and Mr. Mukhtar Yawale Muhammed, alongside the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi.
The induction programme will feature sessions on public sector leadership, policy delivery, ethics in service, digital transformation, and performance management.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has announced that a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will begin soon.
Edun revealed this at the ongoing Nigerian Investor Forum, held alongside the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC.
The minister explained that the recent changes in the NNPCL management are part of a broader effort by the Federal Government to clean up and examine the company closely.
While addressing top global investors, including representatives from J.P. Morgan, Edun shared key reforms the government has introduced to revive the economy and restore investor confidence.
He told the investors that the government’s bold economic steps have laid a strong foundation to attract private investment.
He stated, “Our goal is not just to maintain this momentum, but to accelerate it. We are targeting seven per cent annual growth, and we believe the policies we have implemented have laid the groundwork to achieve this.”
Edun highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has rolled out major reforms that are already making a difference.
He added that the Nigerian economy grew by 3.84 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024 and recorded a 3.4 per cent growth for the year.
Edun further stressed the importance of the reforms, describing them as “unprecedented,” adding that, “We said we would do it, and now we have done it. This time, we’re staying the course.”
He pointed out signs of progress such as lower budget deficits, a better trade balance, and a more stable exchange rate.
He also said that the focus is now on growing key sectors, especially agriculture.
According to Edun, agriculture is at the top of the government’s agenda, with the aim of improving food supply and increasing productivity.
“We aim to close the food supply gap, not by importing more, but by enabling domestic producers to scale and innovate,” he said.
On infrastructure, Edun revealed that the government has rolled out 90,000km of fibre optic cable to improve internet access.
He said this move is crucial for supporting young Nigerians and tech startups.
He also noted that 4,000km of roads have been offered for private sector participation, with the first 1,000km already approved for construction.