The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria CBCN, has donated a total of 435 Hospitals and Clinics to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to combat the Novel Coronavirus pandemic.

Willie Bassey, Director (Information), Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation OSGF, disclosed this in a statement Wednesday in Abuja.

He said, receiving members of the Conference in his office, the Chairman of PTF/Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, expressed appreciation to the Bishops’ Conference for putting their medical facilities and clinics at the disposal of the Task Force.

He thanked the Conference for the donation and described the gesture as not only timely but necessary as it would assist medical practitioners in their efforts to bring the pandemic to a standstill in the country.

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The SGF commended the Conference for the donation in view of the spread of the health facilities which are found in several locations across the country and would provide the required assistance to various state governments to leverage on.

He said; ‘‘We will continue to work with all faith-based organisations, civil society groups and all men of goodwill interested in helping out at this time of need’’.

The SGF commended the Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and called on other faith-based groups to speak up and lend a strong voice to the decisions of government particularly, on restriction of movement so as to halt the spread of the pandemic.

Mustapha added that the Novel Coronavirus does not respect religion, tribe, race or status and called for all hands to be on deck so as to curtail the spread of the pandemic in the country.

Earlier, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Most Rev. Augustine Obiora Akubeze and the Archbishop of Abuja Archdiocese, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, informed the SGF that the conference was with the PTF in prayers and thanked the Federal Government for setting up the Presidential Task Force with the SGF as its chairman.

“Akubueze commended the PTF for the various steps it has taken with its marshal plans to curtail further spread of the disease in the country and stated that the Conference was donating its hospitals and clinics for use by the PTF as solidarity as well as expression of goodwill. The Conference promised to cooperate fully with all decisions of government on COVID-19 so to curtail the spread of the pandemic”, the statement added.