President Bola Tinubu has directed the setting up of an inter-ministerial committee to oversee the cholera emergency operation centre being operated by the National Centre For Disease Control (NCDC).
Health Minister, Prof Ali Pate, who made this known to newsmen yesterday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by the president at the State House, Abuja, listed the committee members to include: Federal Ministry of Health, Finance, Water Resources, Environment, Youth, Aviation and Education.
According to him, the committee's effort is in addition to state governments' support towards ensuring that Nigeria makes progress in reducing open defecation as cholera requires multi-sectoral approach.
He said: "The council then approved a cabinet committee comprising the Federal Ministries of Health, Finance, Water Resources, Environment, Youth, Aviation and Education because some of our children will be returning to school.
"In addition to this, the State government we will co-opt so that Nigeria makes progress in reducing open defecation because cholera is a developmental issue that requires multi sectoral approach.
"The president directed that cabinet committee be set up to oversee what the emergency operation centre led by NCDC is doing and for the resources to be provided complemented by the state government.
Pate further disclosed that at the moment 31 states have recorded 1,528 cases with 53 deaths.
He said: "At the moment, about 31 states have recorded 1528 cases and 53 deaths in Nigeria that is what we are working on through emergency operation centre that was activated by NCDC on Monday.
"Now we have cholera outbreak and we discussed extensively in the Council in addition to a new emergence of yellow fever specifically in Bayelsa State.
"On cholera we are in the middle of 7th pandemic globally, in 2022 the world had almost 500,000 cases of cholera so it is not only peculiar to Nigeria. In 2023, almost 700,000 cases of cholera were reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This year more than 200,000 cases have occurred in five regions of the world".
Also yesterday, FEC approved a total sum of N42.4 billion as cost of variation for three federal roads across the country.
This was made public by the Minister of Works, David Umahi who briefed newsmen after the council meeting.
Umahi said: "Today in FEC we had three approvals for review of ongoing projects, the first one was the review for the construction of Umulungbe - Umuoka road in Enugu state. It was approved for review from N6.245 billion to N8.85 billion about N2.6 billion addition.
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"We had the review of the repair of Iganmu bridge in Lagos State from N1.16 billion to N2.229 billion. The last one was approval for dualization of the Calabar to Udopkani road to Itu road in Cross River State. It was changed from flexible pavement to rejigged pavement, dualized with improved soft structure engagement. It is reviewed from N79.649 billion to N118.412 billion.
"There is also approval for the immediate procurement of full rehabilitation of the road in Katsina State, that is, the road on the Katsina - Dustsinma-Maraba road and it is approved for immediate procurement.
"Let me announce that the 330 emergency repairs of roads and bridges across the country valued at over N500 billion is about 80 per cent completed and the Ministry of Finance has fully released N300 billion for the projects and we are going to publish by next week the full details and the level of completion.
"Also the Abuja to Kano, the Lagos to Ibadan roads and the Second Niger Bridge, the Abuja to Kano has been dismembered into three with two for Dangote and BUA and the other by Julius Berger and Berger has moved back to site and the other tax credit contractors are to be mobilised by next week."
