The People’s Democratic Party has urged Buhari Muhammadu Buhari to dissolve the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 for being reactive rather than innovative.
The main opposition party, however, advised the president to replace the task force with a constellation of professionals in health and other related fields who will bring their expertise to bear on the pandemic.
This was contained in a statement released on Wednesday titled, ‘COVID-19 Second Wave: PDP Laments FG’s Lack of Commitment…Demands Special Department To Tackle Pandemic’.
The PDP, according to the statement, noted that the PTF as presently constituted has shown, through its perfunctory announcement of infections and associated fatalities on a daily basis, that it has no wherewithal to handle the pandemic.
The statement partly read, “More distressing is that the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 has not demonstrated any capacity beyond mere announcement of figures of infected persons, deaths, recoveries, discharges and issues of local protocols rather than engaging in epidemiology, researches and production of equipment, drugs, therapeutics and other medical palliatives that can help stave off the impact of the global pandemic.
“On account of this, the PDP restates our demands for the dissolution of the PTF and in its place allow a convergence of experts in a special department under the purview of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control to professionally tackle the pandemic.”
The PDP further stated, “The PDP is shocked that the Buhari administration did not make any budgetary provision in the 2021 Appropriation for the acquisition of essential therapeutics, including vaccines, even in the face of the heightened anxieties over the second wave of the pandemic in our nation.
“It is indeed the height of leadership failure that the Federal Government has not been able to take a decision on the type and quantity of vaccines expected as well as ancillary facilities and associated logistics.
“The PDP is however not surprised at such governance indolence and confusion as the current system under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch is plagued by endemic corruption, mediocrity, incompetence and laissez-faire attitude to issues that have to do with the wellbeing of Nigerians.
“Our party rejects the use of the pandemic as corruption drainpipe for All Progressives Congress leaders and their cronies in government circles,” the opposition party submitted.
