Federal Government in of Nigeria, yesterday, vowed to probe some airport officials who continue to extort inbound international travelers with a view to helping them evade quarantine in the wake of the resurgence of COVID-19.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF and Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee PSC on COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha disclosed this during briefing of the committee.
He said: “The PSC has taken note of the challenges raised by travelers that visit the National International Travel Portal in compliance with travel protocols. It has similarly noted with dismay, fraudulent activities perpetuated at our international airports by on-duty staff, who extort money out of those who also wish to evade quarantine requirement. The authorities are conducting necessary investigation in to various reports received.
“The PSC has observed that caution is needed rather than over-confidence and that there is a decline of suspicion index among doctors.
“To slide into complacency can be very fatal, hence the need for serious caution and adherence to the non-pharmaceutical intervention measures, vaccination and protocols on self-isolation. The coronavirus is still very much around us and it is virulent and deadly.”
The SGF added that notable progress is still being made in the area of vaccine, explaining that over 3.5 million doses of Pfizer is being expected from the United States Government this month while about four million doses of Astrazeneca is being expected early next month.
“Nigeria will be receiving over 1m doses of J&J shipments on a monthly basis. The PSC is committed to access enough vaccines for the 70 per cent eligible persons in the country in record time”, he added.
Mustapha also announced Dr Ifedayo Morayo Adetifa as the newly-appointed Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, who will be taking over from Dr. Chikwe Iheakwazu from 1st November, 2021.
