By Tordue Salem, Abuja

The House of Representatives on Tuesday resolved to suspend plenary for two weeks to screen and detect symptoms of the deadly coronavirus, currently spreading fear across the country.

The House said the period, will allow the Management of the National Assembly and principal officers, provide screening and detention facilities at the complex.

The decision to close the Green Chamber was taken after the House adopted an amendment to a Motion by the Minority Leader, Rep. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu (PDP-Delta).

The Motion to confront the disease as an emergency was moved by Rep Josiah Uyime Idem(PDP-Akwa Ibom). The House has however not fixed a specific day for the suspension of business, as they said they will require the concurrence of the Senate.

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Minority Leader of the House, Rep. Ndudi Elumelu while speaking on the Motion, said the two-week break was necessary, because the issue of coronavirus has become of serious national and international issue, which should be handled with all seriousness it deserved, because, according to him, the driver of the Italian who brought the virus Nigeria, was yet to held and quarantined.

While contributing to the motion of urgent public importance on the need for emergency response in handling the coronavirus issue, Elumelu who came under matter of privileges, said members should within the two weeks break to embark on a routine check.

He said “what has been recorded in Nigeria today that we have coronavirus is from Ogun state and from an Italian man who visited Ogun state and it turned out to have visited the constituency of Hon. Isiaka.

“I think that this is very serious and I think that this House should suspend plenary for a period of two weeks or thereabout for the singular fact of satisfying everybody and also allow management to put measures in place so that some of us can be tested.
“It might sound like a joking matter, but it is a very serious matter and this House should take it as such. Otherwise, you don’t know who you will be shaking.

“The man who was the driver of the Italian has not been seen. Jokes apart, I think that the management and the leadership should ensure that this matter is given the seriousness that it deserves.”

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Rep. Awaji-Inombek Abiante reminded his colleagues of the motion that was thrown out by the House calling for the evacuation of Nigerians living in Wuhan, China where the disease was first discovered.

According to him, “now, we are faced with our worse fears because the coronavirus is here with us. We throw out a motion to bring back our brothers from Wuhan, China and now, we are caught up with our worst fears.”

He argued that the incubation period of the virus has increased from 14 to 21, days which, according to him, was enough period for anybody that is infected to travel round the country, getting in contact with as many people as possible.

He lamented that there was no emergency response to the pandemic within the National Assembly.

The House also asked the federal government to convene an emergency national council of health meeting, to discuss ways of ending the coronavirus.
Sponsor of the motion, Rep. Unyime Idem reminded the House that the coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-Cov) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CPV).

He said that a navel coronavirus (nCOV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans, adding that the coronavirus has killed over 3,000 people and infected over 91,000 globally so far.

The House recalled that the outbreak of the virus was declared a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020, and was immediately reported to the World Health Organization Country Office in China.

He said the Federal Ministry of Health’s emergency notification to the public that the coronavirus influenza outbreak this time is very serious and fatal and is highly contagious, while the symptoms may appear as soon as 2 days and as long as 14 days, should be taken seriously.

He expressed concern that the socio-economic implications of the outbreak of COVID-19 in Nigeria, can be very disastrous and can be threatening to the lives of about 200 million Nigerians, hence, events have been cancelled or rescheduled as the disease ravages the world.

Rep. Idem said that with the current situation of health facilities in Nigeria, the virus, if not properly checked or curtailed, will easily be transmitted within the larger population and may lead to a high mortality rate, adding that the Executive needs to move swiftly and intensify collaborations with Health Agencies to nib it in the bud at this early stage of the outbreak of the infection in the Country.

The lawmakers want the Federal government to release more emergency funds and create enabling environment and support for the Federal Ministry of Health and other Health Agencies and institutions in a bid to completely overcome and eliminate the threat of the Novel CoronaVirus (N CoV).

The House also wants all centres established and designated for the treatment and management of Ebola cases in the country to be activated for the management of suspected cases and Victims of COVID-19.

They also want all relevant agencies to intensify surveillance at all international borders and ports of entry, through the provision of more thermal machines, infrared thermometers for temperature screening and deployment of personnel to conduct the screening and quarantine services on all inbound passengers to the country.

In addition, the House, with the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase presiding, also adopted the Motion’s call for the creation of at least two functional isolation centres in each of the geo-political zones for quarantine and management of suspected cases, while adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) should be provided for the health workers.

Vanguard News