Buhari To Brief Nigerians Tonight On Extension Of Lockdown

President Muhammadu Buhari Personal Assistant on New Media Bashir Ahmad has said that the nation will be properly communicated on the next step concerning extension of lockdown in the Abuja, Lagos and Ogun tonight.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday said Nigerians must stay at home, listen and follow public announcements on how best to curb the spread of Coronavirus.

Saying: “But we must ask you – once more – to observe restrictions on movement where they are in place, and follow the instructions of our scientists and medical advisers: stay home, wash your hands, save lives.

Bashir Ahmad on his Twitter handle said ‘I can see a lot of questions on whether there will be an extension of the lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun or not, with the initial 14 days expiring tonight, Nigerians will be properly communicated on the next step. For now, as President @MBuhari appealed, stay safe at home.’

Recall also that the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 had said that only President Muhammadu Buhari can decide whether or not to extend the ongoing 14 days lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja which comes to an end today.

The Task Force Chairman, Boss Mustapha, made this known while briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos, after inspection of some facilities put in place by the state government to contain the spread of Coronavirus.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said that part of the reason the committee visited Lagos was to assess to what extent the objective of the lockdown had been achieved.

He said that the committee would be making recommendations to the president based on its observations, after which the president would decide whether or not to extend the lockdown.

Also on Saturday the President said that the freedoms Nigerians were asked to willingly forsake will only last as long as scientific advisers declare

“We realise that today, there will be sons and daughters unable to visit their parents, and elders that are isolated from young ones.

“There will be those who live day-to-day, eating as they earn, who face real and present suffering.

“No elected government could ask more of the citizens of the country that elected them than today we ask of you.

“But we must ask you – once more – to observe restrictions on movement where they are in place, and follow the instructions of our scientists and medical advisers: stay home, wash your hands, save lives.

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“The freedoms we ask you to willingly forsake today will only last as long as our scientific advisers declare they are necessary.

“But they are essential – world over – to halt and defeat the spread of this virus.”

On the hardship being experienced by a cross section of Nigerians, the president revealed that the Federal Government had announced multiple measures to assist such vulnerable groups.

SOURCE: DAILY TIMES