After Buhari receives briefed on COVID19 situation, set to determine stay home order
...As 14-day lockdown extension expires today
By Tunde Olorungbotemi
After the 14-day extension of the lockdown to curb the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic expires on Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari is likely to address the nation again.
The President on Sunday evening was briefed by the Presidential Taskforce on Nigeria’s COVID19 situation, by the Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire and Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Personal Assistant on New Media to President Buhari, Bashir Ahmed, through his verified twitter handle
@BashirAhmaad tweeted: “FLASH: President @MBuhari receives briefing on Nigeria’s #COVID19 situation, from Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire and Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu this evening at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.”
President Buhari at his last broadcast to the nation said the extension became necessary having considered the briefings and report from the Presidential Task Force and the various options offered.
He said the approach to the virus remains in two steps: “First, to protect the lives of our fellow Nigerians and residents living here and second, to preserve the livelihoods of workers and business owners.
“With this in mind and having carefully considered the briefings and report from the Presidential Task Force and the various options offered, it has become necessary to extend the current restriction of movement in Lagos and Ogun states as well as the FCT for another 14 days effective from 11:59 pm on Monday, 13th of April, 2020. I am therefore once again asking you all to work with government in this fight.”
The governors of 36 states of the federation had through the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) asked that the lockdown be scaled down to partial mode with relaxed restriction.
In a letter dated April 24, 2020, and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation/Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, the NGF requested for, subject to the president’s approval, internal free movement in all the states, but with restrictions on large gatherings.
The other things the governors want incorporated into President Buhari’s impending pronouncement on the lockdown are: “Inter-state lockdown, excluding movement of essential supplies- food, beverages, medical and pharmaceutical, petroleum supplies and agricultural products; internal free movement but with restrictions on large gatherings and assemblies; overnight curfews; lockdown on flights; and compulsory use of face masks/coverings in the public.”
Meanwhile, Buhari will determine when to lift lockdown says, Minister of Health, Ehanire Osagie
While Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, he stated that the decision of whether or not to extend the lockdown has to be tailored according to the needs of Nigerians. Ehanire added that every country has the right to balance the medical and health-related benefits from the economic-related benefits.
The Minister said;
“The President will make that announcement in his own time. We will give him the facts, he will consider the facts and make his own announcements using his own wisdom.
“What happens is that every country, you balance the medical and the health-related benefits from the economic-related benefits because you have an economy you don’t want to kill and you also have the health side that you don’t want to destroy.
“It’s a very delicate balance which you need to do. All countries do that; it’s not only in our country. Even in the United States, they have that debate all the time. Do we open the economy now or do we not open it now?”
By Tunde Olorungbotemi
After the 14-day extension of the lockdown to curb the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic expires on Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari is likely to address the nation again.
The President on Sunday evening was briefed by the Presidential Taskforce on Nigeria’s COVID19 situation, by the Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire and Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Personal Assistant on New Media to President Buhari, Bashir Ahmed, through his verified twitter handle
@BashirAhmaad tweeted: “FLASH: President @MBuhari receives briefing on Nigeria’s #COVID19 situation, from Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire and Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu this evening at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.”
President Buhari at his last broadcast to the nation said the extension became necessary having considered the briefings and report from the Presidential Task Force and the various options offered.
He said the approach to the virus remains in two steps: “First, to protect the lives of our fellow Nigerians and residents living here and second, to preserve the livelihoods of workers and business owners.
“With this in mind and having carefully considered the briefings and report from the Presidential Task Force and the various options offered, it has become necessary to extend the current restriction of movement in Lagos and Ogun states as well as the FCT for another 14 days effective from 11:59 pm on Monday, 13th of April, 2020. I am therefore once again asking you all to work with government in this fight.”
The governors of 36 states of the federation had through the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) asked that the lockdown be scaled down to partial mode with relaxed restriction.
In a letter dated April 24, 2020, and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation/Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, the NGF requested for, subject to the president’s approval, internal free movement in all the states, but with restrictions on large gatherings.
The other things the governors want incorporated into President Buhari’s impending pronouncement on the lockdown are: “Inter-state lockdown, excluding movement of essential supplies- food, beverages, medical and pharmaceutical, petroleum supplies and agricultural products; internal free movement but with restrictions on large gatherings and assemblies; overnight curfews; lockdown on flights; and compulsory use of face masks/coverings in the public.”
Meanwhile, Buhari will determine when to lift lockdown says, Minister of Health, Ehanire Osagie
While Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, he stated that the decision of whether or not to extend the lockdown has to be tailored according to the needs of Nigerians. Ehanire added that every country has the right to balance the medical and health-related benefits from the economic-related benefits.
The Minister said;
“The President will make that announcement in his own time. We will give him the facts, he will consider the facts and make his own announcements using his own wisdom.
“What happens is that every country, you balance the medical and the health-related benefits from the economic-related benefits because you have an economy you don’t want to kill and you also have the health side that you don’t want to destroy.
“It’s a very delicate balance which you need to do. All countries do that; it’s not only in our country. Even in the United States, they have that debate all the time. Do we open the economy now or do we not open it now?”
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