Buhari’s 2 Weeks Lockdown Order On COVID-19 May Be Extended – SGF

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, April 8th, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The two weeks nationwide lockdown directed by President Muhammadu Buhari due to raging COVID-19 may be extended.

This follows daily increase in the number of confirmed cases and death toll of the outbreak.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha gave the hint Tuesday while speaking at a national briefing of the body in Lagos.

Specifically, Mr Mustapha disclosed that President Buhari may stop or extend the lockdown on the FCT Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States at the expiration of 14 days.

The SGF said the PTF has begun consultation and started looking at the objectives that were set before the lockdown or signing of the quarantine declaration by Mr. President and subsequently by several other states.

Mustapha confirmed that a re-evaluation would be done by the PTF before the end of the week to see how the objectives set are being met.

He restated: “At the end of the exercise, we will have the responsibility of reporting to the President because it was the advice of the Minister of Health and health experts that informed his decision to sign the Quarantine Declaration 2020.

“At the end of the evaluation, a certain set of recommendations and advice will go to Mr. President’’.

Mustapha maintained that it was President alone who would will take the decision as to when the lockdown will either be extended or stopped at the expiration of 14 days.

The SGF with other members of the PTF Tuesday inspected the isolation facilities at Onikan Stadium, Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Gbagada General Hospital.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, expressed gratitude to President Buhari for his commitment as well as for setting up the high-powered Presidential PTF on COVID-19.

Sanwo-Olu admitted: “The taskforce has come to see where we are, what we are doing, the advice they need to give us, the corrections we need to take and collaborative efforts that need to happen between our government and all of the Federal agencies and the Federal Government of Nigeria’’.

Recall that President Buhari in a special nationwide broadcast said the 14 days lockdown was in the first instance.

As at late Tuesday, the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) said the country has recorded 254 confirmed cases; 44 discharge and six deaths.