COVID-19: Capital market committee donates ambulances, medical items to FCTA, Kano, Lagos states

The Capital Market Support Committee on COVID-19 (CMSCC), has donated an ambulance to the Federal Capital Territory Administration, to assist in the fight against the disease in the territory.

Ms Mary Uduk, the Acting Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), who led the committee in Abuja on Thursday, said that the donation would also be extended to Lagos and Kano States.

A statement by Mrs Efe Ebelo, the Head, Corporate Communication of SEC, said the committee would also donate other medical items to FCTA and the two states.

She noted that the committee would also give an ambulance to the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, to support the efforts in flattening the curve in the country.

She commended the administration for assisting the Federal Government in the fight against the pandemic.

Uduk regretted that since the country recorded its COVID-19 index case in February, the number of affected persons had been on the increase, leading to emergency situations and in some cases, death.

The acting director-general, while acknowledging the ongoing efforts to combat the pandemic both from the government and private sectors, said the capital market recognised the need to lend its support toward strengthening the available response mechanisms.

She said that their contributions would also help to ameliorate the burdens on those affected.

“The committee has been mobilising financial support and other resources from capital market participants and stakeholders, for the purpose of providing medical and protective supplies as well as other palliatives.

“The committee hereby announces the execution of the first phase of its intervention.

“This phase will cover donation of ambulances and other medical items to Lagos and Kano States including the Federal Capital Territory, being places with relatively high number of cases.

“We encourage all capital market stakeholders to key into this initiative and contribute to the CMSCC COVID-19 fund, to enable the capital market community deliver on planned interventions.

“We also encourage fellow Nigerians to continue to take the necessary safety precautions and abide by directives issued by the Federal Government and relevant health agencies.

“Together, we will overcome this pandemic,” she said.

In her remarks, the Minister of State for FCTA, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, commended SEC for the donations, saying that it would assist in ensuring quick response and efficiency in the fight against the pandemic.

Aliyu urged citizens to continue to follow laid down protocols, as COVID-19 was real.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee was set up in April, to coordinate the capital market community’s contribution toward fighting the pandemic. (NAN)