Okodili Ndidi, Abuja
THE Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is set to begin the airlifting of medicaments procured by the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) for distribution to 14 member nations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to check the spread of the COVID-19 within the sub-region.
Its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, in a statement, noted that the distribution of the drugs was in fulfilment of NAF’s constitutional role of providing aid to civil authority.
According to the statement, “the airlift of the medical supplies is in fulfilment of the promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the ECOWAS COVID-19 Response Coordination Champion, that Nigeria would provide logistics support to ensure the items are distributed to all countries in the Sub-Region.”
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The benefiting countries include Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Senegal, Togo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cape Verde, Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali and the Republic of Benin.
The medicaments include laboratory diagnostic kits, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), intensive care equipment and miscellaneous medical accessories such as coveralls, masks, face shields, goggles, reagents, viral transport medium, ventilators and oxygen concentrators, among others.
The Chairman, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, who was represented by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, kicked off the airlift of the medical materials at the 307 Executive Airlift Group (307 EAG), Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Tuesday.
Mustapha stated that President Buhari had risen to the occasion “as a true champion, who has demonstrated good leadership, solidarity, friendship and good neighbourliness to the sub-region”.
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