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President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats and authorised the immediate release of N10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency response capacity against the deadly virus.

The intervention comes amid renewed concerns over the resurgence of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, prompting the Federal Government to activate measures aimed at preventing the importation of the disease into the country.

The emergency funding is expected to bolster the operational readiness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical public health response activities nationwide.

The newly constituted Presidential Task Force will be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, with membership drawn from key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), alongside representatives of state governments.

President Tinubu’s approval followed a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened by Gbajabiamila to assess Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies to forestall any outbreak within the country’s borders.

Participants at the meeting included officials of the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Lagos State Government and other critical institutions involved in disease surveillance and border management.

As part of the emergency measures, the President directed all states hosting international airports and major border corridors to submit detailed preparedness plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for coordinated implementation by the Federal Government.

The Task Force is also expected to immediately intensify passenger screening at international airports through enhanced temperature checks and stricter crowd-control measures.

Authorities have been directed to strengthen monitoring of travellers arriving through identified high-risk routes, including flights operated by Air Uganda, RwandaAir, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.

In addition, referral and isolation centres are to be activated without delay at the Lagos and Abuja international airports, while similar facilities will subsequently be established at other designated entry points across the country.

The government further ordered the mandatory deployment of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers originating from, or transiting through, countries classified as high risk.

Other precautionary measures include the disinfection of departure halls, cargo terminals, baggage handling areas and other airport facilities.
President Tinubu also mandated the advisory group to engage security, diplomatic and aviation authorities on possible regulations governing flights from affected countries.

The Task Force is expected to recommend the designation of specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to facilitate controlled screening and isolation procedures, as well as consider adjustments to flight schedules to minimise contact between high-risk travellers and other passengers.

The latest measures signal the administration’s determination to avoid a repeat of past public health emergencies by strengthening early detection systems, tightening border surveillance and ensuring rapid response capacity in the face of emerging disease threats.

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The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has given contractors handling sections of the Abuja-Lokoja highway rehabilitation project 72 hours to fully mobilise to site or risk sanctions, including possible prosecution by anti-graft and law enforcement agencies.

Umahi issued the ultimatum on Tuesday during a joint inspection of the highway alongside members of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Works.

The minister warned that contractors who had received government funds but failed to execute projects in line with agreed timelines would no longer be tolerated.

“If you are holding the money of the Federal Government, you have to bring it out and do the job, or we start going to the police and the EFCC.

“I’m giving you 72 hours to effectively deploy on this road and utilise the money. The President has graciously approved the funds, and everyone involved must fulfil their obligations,” Umahi said.

He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had approved funds for the project and urged contractors to immediately deploy equipment, personnel and resources to their respective sections of the road.

The minister expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work by GELD Construction Limited, noting that only 8.2 kilometres of continuously reinforced concrete pavement had been completed on a 28-kilometre stretch despite the contractor spending several years on the project.

“GELD is not doing well at all on this project. The contractor has been on this job for years, and the progress recorded is not commensurate with the time spent on site,” Umahi said.

According to Umahi, the original contract covered 49.28 kilometres but was later reduced to 28 kilometres because of funding constraints.

He directed officials of the Federal Ministry of Works to identify the worst sections of the highway for immediate intervention using available funds, insisting that motorists should not continue to suffer the consequences of project delays.

The minister also warned ministry officials against poor supervision of projects, stating that engineers and project managers who fail to effectively monitor contractors could be removed from their positions.

“We can no longer keep quiet and allow contractors to do whatever they want to do. Contractors who have received government funds must utilise them for the intended purpose and ensure that critical sections of the road are attended to immediately,” he said.

Umahi lamented the hardship experienced by commuters due to prolonged construction activities and warned contractors against unnecessarily obstructing traffic flow.

“I feel very sad whenever I see this road completely blocked. Contractors have no right to keep road users suffering, and ministry officials have no right to keep quiet while that happens,” he stated.

While acknowledging that delayed payments had posed challenges for contractors, the minister appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to accelerate the release of funds for projects being financed under its tax credit arrangement with the Federal Government.

He maintained that the Tinubu administration remained committed to completing strategic road infrastructure projects across the country and warned that contractors unwilling or unable to continue work after receiving public funds could be replaced.

Speaking during the inspection, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, backed the minister’s position, saying infrastructure delivery required commitment from contractors, supervising engineers and funding agencies.

“The President cannot be everywhere, and neither can the minister. That is why there are engineers, controllers and supervisors on site. What we have seen here suggests that reports reaching the minister do not fully reflect realities on the ground,” Alabi said.

Similarly, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, urged ministry officials to discharge their responsibilities diligently and called for timely payment for completed projects.

The Abuja-Lokoja highway is a major transport corridor linking the Federal Capital Territory with parts of the North-Central, South-East and South-South regions. Motorists have repeatedly complained about its deteriorating condition, frequent accidents and traffic congestion.

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The National Examinations Council (NECO) has announced plans to recruit no fewer than 22,000 supervisors for the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal, while warning prospective applicants against fraudulent online recruitment portals.

The council said the recruitment exercise is part of preparations for the 2026 SSCE Internal examination scheduled to commence on June 15.

In a statement issued on Tuesday signed by the Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, NECO said it had adopted a fully electronic process for the recruitment of supervisors and assistant supervisors.

The council explained that the transition from the analogue recruitment system followed recommendations of the Ministerial Committee on the Improvement of Quality of Examination in Nigeria and is aimed at strengthening examination supervision across the country.

NECO said only qualified pensionable teachers on Grade Level 12 and above who are at least 30 years old are eligible to apply for the supervisory roles directing interested applicants to submit their applications through its official recruitment portal at supervisor.neco.gov.ng.

The council stressed that the recruitment process is fully automated and does not require the involvement of any third party.

NECO also warned members of the public against fake online portals allegedly recruiting examination supervisors. According to the council, the fraudulent websites have been requesting applicants to upload academic credentials and make payments.

It clarified that no payment is required from teachers applying to serve as supervisors in the forthcoming examination stating that the new electronic recruitment system is designed to curb fraud, reduce examination malpractice and enhance fairness, transparency and credibility in the recruitment process.

NECO urged prospective applicants and members of the public to disregard any platform demanding money or personal details outside its official recruitment portal.