The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase has asked the Presidential Task Force, PTF to engage Nigeria’s Engineer’s on the production of ventilators for use in the country.
Earlier, the Speaker of the House, called for an enquiry into the whereabouts of the visiting Chinese medical personnel, saying that their activities in the country must the over-sighted by the parliament.
The enquiry was directed to the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire at a meeting between the leadership of the National Assembly and the Presidential Task Force (PTF) led by its Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha on the updates of the team’s activities on coronavirus, Thursday in Abuja.
Gbajabiamila who needed to know if the health experts were subjected to the laid down protocols of the disease as instructed also said the need to monitor the movement of the Chinese medical personnel became had become necessary following fears expressed by Nigerians over the coming of the Chinese.
Right now there is no consequence for reneging on promised donations because there is no legislation. There must be some form of legislation to that effect, an instrument to compel pledges must be in place”, Gbajabiamila said.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon Ahmed Idris Wase, urged the PTF to engage Nigerian youth who have exhibited the capacity to produce ventilators to help in treating coronavirus patients.
He cited the case of William Gyang and Nuhu Jibril, engineers based in Jos who volunteered and fixed two ventilators at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital (JUTH) which has broken down.
“The two engineers had said they have never heard of ventilators morning seen any in their lives before the coronavirus pandemic.
“I watched the video with the nostalgia of how some young Nigerians from Jos were able to put back broken down ventilators back to use and ironically, they said they have never seen the machines before,” he said.
“They (also) assured that with support from the government, they can produce the machine”, he said.
In his response to Gbajabiamila’s enquiry, the Minister of Health, Ehanire said the Chinese medical personnel that brought equipment and materials were duly tested and quarantine in a facility belonging to the Chinese company that was responsible for the arrangement.
The Minister also said foreign airlines and embassies were cooperative in solving the challenge of tracing contacts of the indexes of the virus.
On his part, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and Chairman of PTF, Mustapha who aligned with the position of the Speaker on the need for the legislation also assured that a comprehensive welfare package was being processed.
Others at the meeting that included the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan were the Ministers of the Aviation, Health, Environment, Information and Foreign Affairs as well the members of the PTF on Covid-19.
Source: Vanguard newspaper.
