Senate decisive directive on Coronavirus disease tops Thursday Plenary session

Senate decisive directive on Coronavirus disease tops Thursday Plenary session
January 31 07:34 2020 Print This Article

By Martin Odiete, Abuja


…Wants special funding for Centre for Disease Control 


The Senate on Thursday urged the Federal Ministry of Aviation to immediately take steps to ensure that all persons arriving from China, especially Chinese citizens from Nigeria that travelled for the Chinese Lunar New Year festivities, to self-isolate by staying indoors in their homes for at least two weeks before mixing with the Nigerian public. 

The Upper Chamber also extended the call for self-isolation to travellers from other countries that are on record to be affected by outbreak of the deadly disease.   

The Senate, accordingly, advised the Nigerian public desirous of traveling  to Asia to put all arrangements on hold until the Coronavirus outbreak is eliminated. 

These formed part of resolutions reached sequel to the consideration of a motion titled: “Coronavirus Outbreak and Preventive Response Towards Stemming it’s Spread in Nigeria.” 

Sponsored by Senator Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu North), the lawmaker in his presentation explained that the virus is spread through the air by coughing or sneezing, close personal contact, touching a contaminated object or surface, and rarely by fecal contamination. 

He added that the Human Coronavirus was previously reported to cause severe symptoms such as acute respiratory syndrome, following the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCov) outbreak that began in Wuhan, China. 

Utazi recalled that in response to the outbreak of the killer virus, “China put millions of people in three of its cities on lockdown in an effort to contain a Coronavirus outbreak that has killed one hundred and seventy and infected more than six hundred and thirty persons.” 

According to him, “Health officials fear the number of infected people will rise rapidly as hundreds of millions of Chinese people travel within China and abroad during the weeklong Lunar New Year which begin on Saturday.” 

The lawmaker, while highlighting efforts made by Nigerian authorities in preventing a possible outbreak of the virus, disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Health through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has risen to the occasion by monitoring the outbreak of respiratory illness caused by the novel (new) Coronavirus. 

He added that the Aviation regulatory agencies recently stepped up surveillance across operating airlines and International airports nationwide, as well as issued a travel advisory in a bid to contain any case of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Senator Jibrin Barau (APC, Kano North), in his contribution, described the motion as a wake-up call for health officials across the country to deploy early preventive measures. 

He said, “I was thinking whether our health officials are doing everything possible to prevent the coming of this disease into the country. 

“This motion is a wake-up call to our health officials to deploy preventive measures.” 

“We should find a way to send a message through this motion to make sure the proper thing is done to a safeguard the health of citizens and the nation,” the lawmaker advised. 

Senator James Manager (APC, Delta South), while contributing to the motion, said according to records, China is the biggest and most populated country in the world. 

The lawmaker raised alarm that Nigeria and other countries are at risk of experiencing an outbreak given what he described as the uncontrolled influx of Chinese nationals from one country to another. 

Senator Manager, who likened the Coronavirus to the deadly Ebola virus, urged Nigerian authorities to rise to the occasion, warning that “almost all powerful countries in the world are already affected.” 

The Senate in its resolutions, accordingly, urged Nigerians with any reported cases of likely infection or with symptoms approximate to those associated with Coronavirus to visit hospitals for urgent health check. 

The upper chamber while also calling on the Federal Government to allocate more funds to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), advised Nigerians to maintain good personal hygiene by constantly washing their hands with water and soap or through the use of liquid sanitizers. 

……Senate probes NNPC over $396m spent on Refineries’ maintenance 


The Senate on Thursday resolved to probe the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over the sum of $396 million expended on Turn-Around Maintenance of refineries in the country between 2013 and 2015. 

Accordingly, the Upper Chamber mandated the Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Upstream and Gas to carry out a holistic investigation on the Turn-Around Maintenance expenditures and the current state of the refineries as well as convoke a stakeholders conference with the aim of finding ways to revamp them. 

The decision to investigate spendings on maintenance of refineries by the Corporation was reached after consideration of a motion brought to the floor by Senator Yusuf A. Yusuf (APC, Taraba Central). 

The lawmaker noted that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has four refineries: two in Port-Harcourt (PHRC) and one each in Kaduna (KRPC) and Warri (WRPC). 

According to him, the refineries were established to adequately supply and serve needs for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO), High Pour Fuel Oil (HPFO) and Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK) for both local consumption and exports. 

He recalled, “The country through NNPC has in the past 25 years spent Billion of US dollars in Turn-Around Maintenance of the refineries, the latest being over $396 million spent between 2013 and 2015 without meaningful result.” 

The lawmaker lamented that “the refineries have remained in moribund state in the last 15-20 years and is almost reaching total collapse due to lack of proposer maintenance of the facilities with a poor average capacity utilization hovering between fifteen percent and twenty-five percent per annum.” 

Senator Yusuf said “despite the huge spending on turn-around Maintenance of refineries, NNPC recently announced a cumulative loss of N123.25 billion in 10 months (January to October, 2019), putting the total revenue of facilities at N68.82 billion, while total expenses incurred was N192.1 billion within the same period.” 

He warned that “such huge wastage and slippages amidst the nation’s tight economy, if not addressed, may lead the country back to recession.” 

The lawmaker added that such losses, when averted and combined with the huge expenditures in “under recovery” on fuel pump price and properly channeled into full rehabilitation and construction of modern refineries, would positively impact on the economy and save the country from the embarrassment of importation of petroleum products and its ripple effect. 

………Senate confirms CBN, NAHCON nominees 


The Senate on Thursday confirmed nominees appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to serve on the board of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON). 

The nominees were confirmed after the presentation and consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs. 

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on December 3, 2019, read a request from President Muhammadu Buhari requesting the confirmation of appointment of the Chairman and Members of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON). 

The request was contained in a letter dated November 28, 2019. 
  
The names of appointees confirmed on Thursday, January 30, 2020, by the Senate are: Zikrullah Olakunke Hassan, Chairman, Osun State, South West; Abdullahi Magaji Hardawa, Executive Commissioner – Operation, Inspection and Licensing; Nura Hassan Yakassai, Executive Commissioner – Policy, Personnel, Management and Finance, Kano State, North West, and Sheikh Momoh Suleman Imonikhe, Executive Commissioner, Planning, Research, Statistics, Information and Library, Edo State, South South. 

Part-time Members are: Halimat Jibril, Niger State, North Central; Abba Jato, Borno State, North East; Garba Umar, Sokoto State, North West; Ibrahim Ogbonnia Amah, Ebonyi State, South East; Sadiq Oniyesaneyene Musa, Delta State, South South, and Akintunde Basirat Olayinka, Ogun State, South West. 

Representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are: Shehu Dogo, Ministry of Aviation; Nura Abba Rimi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Rabi Bello Isa, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning; Zainab Ujudud Sherrif, Ministry of Health; Aminu Bako Yarima, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Ibrahim Ishaq Nuhu, Central Bank of Nigeria; Dr. Bala Muhammad, Representative of Jama’atul Nasril Islam; and Yusuf Chinedozi Nwoha, Representative of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. 

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, in his concluding remarks congratulating the nominees, called on the Commission to reduce the cost associated with partaking in annual Hajj rites. 

“Let me also congratulate those who are being confirmed. The Hajj Commission is waiting for them to kickstart the process of this year’s Hajj. 

“They have to hit the ground running, they have no time to waste. 

“We are praying that the Commission is able to do that because the cost of Hajj fare has been on the high side, and therefore, we are praying that this year’s Hajj will be cheaper than previous rates”, Lawan said. 

In a related development, the Senate also confirmed the nomination of Dr. Kingsley Isitua Obiora for appointment as the Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). 

The confirmation of the nominee was sequel to the presentation and consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions by its Chairman, Senator Uba Sani (APC, Kaduna Central). 

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