The President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government has raised the alarm over the spike in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases across the country.
The alarm was raised by the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
At the meeting, held virtually, members of the NEC said they decided to act on the strict enforcement of measures to contain the spread of the disease across the country.
In a resolution released after the meeting attended by State Governors, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and other federal ministers, the Council noted that it “is alarmed that the current trends are now approaching or surpassing the levels reached during the lockdown imposed at the height of the epidemic earlier in the year.”
In the resolution forwarded to Igbere TV, the NEC announced the enlargement of membership of its Ad-Hoc Committee on COVID-19, while mandating it to urgently come up with additional measures to deal with the spike in cases.
NEC noted that, “The country is now experiencing a huge resurgence of COVID-19 patients needing intensive care and the existing health facilities are fast becoming overwhelmed.”
The Committee chaired by the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa with the Governors of Lagos, Bauchi, Plateau, Kano, Anambra and the FCT Minister, has now been enlarged with the addition of the Governors of Ogun and Kaduna.
The Minister of Health is also a member of the Committee, while the Federal Ministers of Information and Youth and Sports have also been asked to join.
Osinbajo is constitutionally the chairman of NEC which meets monthly to deliberate on the coordination of economic planning and programmes of various levels of government.
NEC comprises the 36 state governors, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Minister of Finance, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and other relevant government officials whose duties hinged on the economy.
Today’s meeting anchored from the Yellow Room, Office of the Vice President, was the seventh for the year as the nation strives to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
