By Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has charged West African leaders to intensify sensitisation against the spread of the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic in the subregion.
President made the charge on Thursday during a virtual meeting with the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Jean Kassi-Brou.
President Buhari, who made the call in his capacity as the the ECOWAS COVID-19 Champion, however lamented that the pandemic was yet to reach its peak in the sub-region and warned against laxity in the fight against it.
However, to recover from the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, President Buhari charged the ECOWAS Commission to come up with an economic recovery plan to help member-states.
He also agreed to provide logistic support to enable the sub-region receive and distribute procured and donated medical equipment using Abuja as the hub for the distribution.
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The President expressed appreciation on behalf of ECOWAS member-states for the “swift interventions made to the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and the Africa Centre for Disease Control by the Jack Ma Foundation”.
He also commended the support so far received from “development partners such as the European Union, African Development Bank, France and Germany for their financial contributions in the procurement of medical supplies.”
President Buhari, whose message was contained in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, urged member-states to work closely in order to overcome the pandemic in the sub-region.
In his report to President Buhari, the President of ECOWAS Commission advocated additional strategies to assist the sub-region in fighting the health and economic impact of COVID-19.
According to Kassi-Brou, these include, the need for advocacy at continental and global levels particularly with the G20, World Bank, United Nations and the African Development Bank among others, for support to negate the health and economic damage to the ECOWAS sub-region; and mass awareness campaign to achieve behavioural change among the citizens of the community with effective customs, security and health protocols put in place throughout the sub-region.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission used the occasion to condole with the government and people of Nigeria on the latest Boko Haram attack on Gubio Local Government in Borno State during which scores of innocent Nigerians were killed.
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