Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, has lashed the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunimbe Mamora, and the Permanent Secretary, Mahmuda Mamman for not attending the National COVID-19 Summit held Monday at the National Intelligence Agency, Abuja.

Lawan, who declared open the Summit attended by the the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, and the Chairman Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha, said that the two ministers and the Permanent Secretary ought to be physically present at the summit to garner all the sources that will come out of the event.

He said their presence was vital as the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, was an interventionist outfit.

Even though Ehanire was briefly sighted at the summit, Lawan insisted another senior official should have replaced him to demonstrate the seriousness of the event.

“Before I begin my remarks, is the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health here? Well, I asked that question because the two ministers of health are not here. The Minister of Health, the Minister of State and the permanent secretary are not here. I believe this is not good.

“Because everything we do here, the federal Ministry of Health is supposed to be here to garner all the resources that will come out of this. The PSC is simply an interventionist outfit. And as politicians and political leaders, we are supposed to be very serious and committed about the health of our people,” Lawan said.

(Adopted from THISDAY)

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