FG suspends FEC, council meeting

The federal government yesterday suspended the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings indefinitely.

The chairman of the Presidential Task Force on the Coronavirus and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said this in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the update on the COVID-19 crisis and the measures being taken to contain it.

He said the Council of State meeting was also suspended, adding that all land borders have been closed completely.

He noted that the virus had hit 192 countries, reporting over 329,000 cases and that in Africa, 42 out of 54 countries had reported cases while 48 deaths have been recorded.

“The strategy of government is to focus on testing, detection and containment through contact tracking in order to minimise hugely, the possibility of community spread,” he said.

He also said the nation’s water ways would soon be closed after the necessary measures had been taken.

Answering questions from newsmen, the Minister of Aviation,

Hadi Sirika, said only cargo aircrafts or those on essential duties, emergency, in distress or stopping for refuelling would be allowed to land in Nigeria at the international airports.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said further investigation had been launched into the index case in Ekiti State where an American reportedly died of suspected case of coronavirus.

He said results confirmed that the American tested negative with his female caregiver while the driver that conveyed them to Ekiti was positive.