Governors of the 36 states of the Federation, have appealed the federal government not to impose the proposed hazard allowance for health workers on states.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, stated this while briefing Journalists after a Virtual National Economic Council NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Okowa who heads the COVID-19 sub committee of NEC, said the major recommendation arising from the meeting is that ” the proposed ‘Hazard’ allowance by the Federal government should not be imposed on States”
The Okowa committee however requested for the general guidance to enable each State negotiate with its health workers directly, based on its ability to pay.
The Okows committee was inaugurated as ad hoc committee to interface with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to ease the lockdown.
The committee also appealed to the federal Ministry of Health to ensure continuous provision of all essential services to ensure people do not die of the Coronavirus pandemic
According to him, ” the committee recommended that the Honorable Minister of Health should ensure the continuous provision of all essential health services in-order to ensure that people do not die from other diseases needlessly”.
The committee also urged “the Presidential Task Force (PTF) to provide the operating guidelines to the States to enable them domesticate same given their peculiarities, norms and traditions, especially in opening of markets, religious places and schools, amongst others
He added that the Committee’s interim report presented to NEC today recommends “that there should be rapid testing, tracing, isolation and treatment, and the NCDC and PTF should provide each State with laboratory testing facilities and ensure effective sample collection”.
