The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha, and its coordinator, Sani Aliyu, have apologised over violations that took place during the burial of the late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, in Abuja on Saturday.
Mr Mustapha who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation said it was regrettable that social distancing was not observed during the burial.
He made the apology during the daily briefing by the task force.
“The PTF recognises, regrettably, the unintentional violation of the principles and protocols that form the core of our message to Nigerians at the funeral of the late chief of staff,” the SGF said.
“These principles, for emphasis, include the guidance provided on mass gatherings, social distancing, personal hygiene, and restriction of movement. Lessons have been learnt and appropriate measures have been taken to close all gaps.”
Kyari’s Burial: PTF Coordinator Apologises, Says Cemetary Has Been Decontaminated
Channels Television
Updated April 20, 2020
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has apologised for certain errors made during the burial of late chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr Abba Kyari
Mr Kyari, who died from complications of COVID-19 on Friday, was buried at Gudu Cemetery in Abuja on Saturday.
There were debates all over social media and in street corners regarding the flouting of the social distancing and adequate protection rule, by many of those who attended the funeral.
The national coordinator of the task force, Mr. Aliyu, in his speech on Monday, also apologised on behalf of the PTF, admitting that there should have been better crowd at the burial.
Mr Aliyu said: “The PTF will like to acknowledge and apologise for the mistakes that were made regarding the burial of the late Chief of Staff.
“We realised that crowd control failed, we have learned from this and we will ensure that future events are adequately regulated and follow the task force’s protocols.
“The Gudu Cemetery had since been decontaminated, the personal protective equipment discarded at the site; decontaminated being burned and discarded according to the NCDC guidelines.
“I’ll like to further clarify the issue of COVID-19 and the burial processes. Contrary to what is on social media, the body of the late Chief of Staff was properly prepared for burial, according to NCDC guidelines and the Islamic faith.
“The bodies of persons with COVID-19, as stated clearly by the WHO guidelines except in cases of viral haemorrhagic fever and cholera, dead bodies are generally not infectious. To date, there’s no evidence of persons having become infected from exposure to the bodies of persons who had died of COVID-19
Many people have turned out for the burial of the late Kyari on Saturday, milling together for prayers and at his graveside.
The development sparked outrage among Nigerians as several guidelines put in place by the government to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic were violated.
Many people took to social media to condemn the move and demand action with the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control putting out a message after the burial to remind people about the importance of avoiding mass gatherings.
The situation was worsened after a video emerged showing that one of the men who helped bury the CoS dumped his protective clothing in public. Amid calls for the man to be identified, isolated and prosecuted, the area was later decontaminated.
Mr Kyari, one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s closest allies, had died on Friday after battling COVID-19 for more than two weeks. He was 67.
In apologising for the violations at his funeral, the SGF paid tribute to the late Kyari, saying, “He was fully committed to ensuring Nigeria responded effectively to the challenge of COVID-19 and he died in the line of duty.
“We will always remember his robust efforts, his dedication, and unwavering commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to manage the impact of this pandemic.”
In honour of Mr Kyari and all those who have lost their lives to COVID-19, Mr Mustapha said the task force has resolved to remain focused on the response to the pandemic.
