By Eromosele Abiodun
As part of their contribution to the fight against the spread of COVID-19, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has donated N50 million and 20 ventilators.
Also, the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Dr George Moghalu, has announced that NIWA has donated N10 million to the fight against the pandemic in the country.
The Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, who made this known in Lagos, said N30 million of the N50 million would go to the federal government Committee on COVID-19, while N20 million is to aid the Lagos state government’s effort to control the spread of the virus.
Equally, NIMASA has volunteered its six fast intervention vessels to be committed to facilitate transport logistics support in the maritime sector, just as volunteers from the agency would be deployed to join first responders from the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Lagos and other states in managing the spread of the pandemic.
The ventilators, NIMASA stated, are equipment that assist patients in breathing, a process sometimes referred to as artificial respiration, which are basically needed at this time to help fight the disease.
The NIMASA boss said: “The coronavirus pandemic is upon humanity. It came suddenly upon a virtually unprepared world, and demands drastic actions from all and sundry to contain the virus and salvage our common humanity.
“We are concerned about the effect of the pandemic on the socio-economic life of the country, especially at a time NIMASA, Nigeria’s maritime industry regulator, is driving a Blue Economy campaign, to make maritime a key part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic diversification agenda.”
He added: “The agency has also volunteered four fully equipped brand new ambulances, four Hilux trucks and four 36 seater coaster buses to support and facilitate land based logistics in the Federal capital Territory, Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Cross River and Kaduna States.
“Other medical equipment the agency donated to enhance the fight against the COVID 19 in Nigeria include, 60 Beds, 20 Patient ICU Monitors, 20 Oxygen Concentrator, 10 Infusion pump, 10 Syringe pump, 20 Oxygen giving set, 10 Suction machine and 100 set of personal Protective Equipment PPE.
“This is our little contribution to aid the robust efforts of the Federal and State governments to fight the virus. It is our token of love, concern for Nigerians and a gesture of appreciation to the authorities’ proactive measures in this collective fight against a common enemy.”
On his part, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of NIWA, Tayo Fadile, in a statement, said the agency was worried about the ravaging impact of the virus.
He stated that NIWA, as part of her corporate social responsibilities, has donated the sum of N5 million to the NCDC and another N5 million to the Lagos State Government (LASG).
“This will help government fight the killer virus with more vigor and determination. The management also urged all Nigerians to obey government’s directives on COVID-19, as the only way to restore sanity and ensure safety and well-being of everybody in the country,” the statement said.
He disclosed that the MD of NIWA has directed that NIWA’s infrastructures such as ferry terminals, dockyards, river ports, jetties, watercrafts, barges and tug boats nationwide should be sanitised and the highest level of hygiene maintained.
