What We’re Doing To Tackle Coronavirus – Buhari

In apparent response to calls for him to address Nigerians on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, President Muhammadu Buhari has said protecting Nigerians against the virus was a key priority for his administration.

Some lawmakers in the National Assembly and other individuals had criticized the president for failing to address Nigerians since the country confirmed its index case on February 27.

But speaking while  receiving the management of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) at the State House on Friday, Buhari said:

“Protecting Nigerians from the Coronavirus is a key priority for us as a Government. We have the Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) working round-the-clock with several other agencies, as well as State Governments, to ensure this.”

President Buhari also expressed confidence in the ability of the newly inaugurated Presidential Task Force on Coronavirus and his cabinet members to efficiently handle the incidents of the disease in the country.

“I have absolute confidence in the relevant Ministers in the cabinet, the Presidential Task Force on Coronavirus which I recently established, and the officials of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), who are all providing constant updates and professional counsel,” he said.

Nigeria’s confirmed cases of coronavirus had risen to 12 on Thursday after the country recorded four cases in addition to the three and five cases earlier confirmed on February 27 and March 8, respectively.

As of today, March 20, the country’s active cases of COVID-19 had dropped to 10 as two persons who earlier tested positive had recovered from the disease and tested negative.