TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA
The Federal Government on Wednesday flagged off Air Logistics Support for COVID-19 Medical Equipment from Nigeria to Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)/West African Health Organization (WAHO).
Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha said the role being played by Nigeria in the logistics support to distribute the medications and supplies is in the spirit of brotherhood.”
Represented by the Minister of State for Health, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora commended President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the use of Nigeria Air Force to distribute the medical equipments to the beneficiary ECOWAS Countries.
Mamora noted that, President Muhammadu Buhari have within a short time, approved that NAF resources be deployed to assist in the airlift and distribution of the medical supplies of WAHO to the other West African Countries is the stuff of which a champion is made of and that “the role being played by Nigeria in the logistics support to distribute the medications and supplies is in the spirit of brotherhood.”
He, however, expressed optimism that it is the same spirit of brotherhood that they will see the sub-region to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic in no distant time.
Earlier, the Director General of WAHO, Prof. Stanley Okolo said the flag off became necessary because NAF plans to airlift the first batch of the consignments to countries starting by Wednesday, 5th August, 2020 and going in the following order:
Wednesday, 5th August: routing through Abuja – Abidjan – Bissau – Banjul – Dakar – Abuja;
Friday, 7th August: routing through Abuja – Lome – Monrovia Freetown – Conakry – Praia – Abuja;
Monday, 10th August: routing through Abuja – Niamey – Ouagadougou – Bamako – Cotonou – Lagos.
It would be recalled that WAHO on behalf of the ECOWAS member States procured some medical equipment to fight COVID-19 for the use of the member States. The cost of airlifting was jointly borne by member States and delivered to Abuja where it was stored up. The stock for Nigeria was recently taken delivery of whilst the rest was initially stored up at the Premier Medical Warehouse in Jabi, Abuja to be airlifted for distribution to the other Countries.
