Health

lockdown will end when scientists approve, says Buhari

Buhari

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The President, Muhammadu Buhari has said, the lockdown announced on the 29th of April, 2020 will last till when scientists and medical advisers believe is necessary to end it.

The restrictions of movement ordered by the president in two states of Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja was placed to help curtail the spread of coronavirus, and was slated to end in two weeks time.

However, according to a release by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the president on Saturday, April 11, 2020 quoted the President as saying that the lockdown is a major attempt at reducing the spread of the pandemic in Nigeria, he maintained there’s no known way of defeating the pandemic yet.

Buhari he said shared with Nigerians, “We realize that today, there will be sons and daughters unable to visit their parents, and elders that are isolated from young ones. And there will be those who live day-to-day, eating as they earn, who face real and present suffering.

No enough to eat

“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.

“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.”

Buhari also urged Nigerians to endure the lockdown saying there’s no known way of defeating the pandemic yet.

“For those who suffer most egregiously, the Government has announced multiple measures to assist: 70,000 tonnes of grain is being released from the National Strategic Grain Reserves for distribution to those in most need; distribution of small cash payments are also being made, and will continue to be made by the federal government in the states and local government areas,” he said.

According to release made available by the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC), as at 9:30 pm on Saturday 11 April, Nigeria has recorded 318 cases of coronavirus, with 10 deaths and 70 persons confirmed negative.