COVID-19: Buhari Disbands PTF, Constitutes New Committee

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has transitioned to the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 based on an approval by President Muhammadu Buhari.

This follows the expiration of the mandate given to the task force when it was formed.

This development was confirmed on Tuesday by the Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha during a media briefing in Abuja.

The Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 will now have modified responsibilities, Naija News understands.

According to Mustapha, the new committee will still be headed by him and has a tenure which lasts till 31st December 2021.

The new PSC will “coordinate the Vaccine Roll out, deployment and administration; improve on the multi-sectoral systems; meet less frequently while maintaining effective communication with Nigerians; and monitor and audit ongoing systems, reforms and infrastructure development in the health sector.”

The SGF also disclosed that Dr Mukhtar Muhammad, who had functioned as National Incident Manager (NIM) of the PTF, will officially take over the office of the National Coordinator from Dr Sani Aliyu, who has returned to the United Kingdom (UK) to resume his private practice.

Meanwhile, Governor Yahaya Bello’s led government of Kogi State has finally taken the delivery of about 16, 900 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Naija News reports that the government took the delivery of the remedy on Monday night with vaccination scheduled to commence in the state on Tuesday.

The Executive Director of Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Abubakar Yakubu, who led a team of officials of the agency and Kogi Ministry of Health to receive the vaccines at the National Programme on Immunisation Unit of the State Central Medical Store, Lokoja, said that the most awaited COVID-19 vaccines arrived Kogi from Abuja at about 7:40 pm.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after taking delivery of the vaccines, Yakubu said the state was well prepared for the vaccination exercise.