The Federal Government says it will collaborate with Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, to set up functional test isolation centres in every state to tackle the spread of coronavirus in the country.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanere stated this after meeting with the 36 state governors during their monthly meeting in Abuja.
The Nigerian Economic Summit Group, NESG, and some agencies also made presentations at the meeting.
Dr Ehanere said he was at the secretariat of the NGF to update the governors on the pandemic of the coronavirus and the strategies that the federal government was making to curtail the spread of the virus in the country.
He explained that the governors agreed to work with the federal government and pledged the commitment of the ministry to always update Nigerians to avoid misinformation.
“To get the story of how Coronavirus spread abroad and how it has come into Nigeria and what we have done so far. And they asked questions about our strategies, our approach and how it affects their states and our strategies and how they can have access to materials to be able to respond.
I did not need to make an effort to remind the governors on what they should do because they all offered to play a role which was very good. In fact they want to know the cost of building isolation centres, the cost of the equipment and the kits. And they want us to present them with them cost tomorrow. We are happy that there is such engagement by the governors.”
After an extensive discussion on the negative impact of coronavirus to the economy and fall in oil prices, the Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi said, the governors set up a committee to review and advice state governments on actions that were required to address the economic challenges in the country.
“The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and falling oil prices in the Nigerian economy and the revenues of States governments, the forum constituted a sub-committee consisting of the Governors of Kaduna (Chair), Kebbi, Ebonyi, Ogun, Nasarawa, Edo and Jigawa to comprehensive review the trend and advice state governments on the set of actions required to address challenges in the economy”.
Following a presentation by the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, NESG, Laoye Jaiyeola on the economic roundtable, a platform that was created to facilitate improved economic policies in the states, Governor Fayemi said governors adopted the policy to improve effective partnership that would promote good governance at the states.
The Governors also welcomed Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo to his first NGF meeting since his assumption of office.
Governors also commiserate with the governor of Lagos State on the recent pipe explosion that claimed many lives.
Nehemiah Anini
