The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has extended the lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states by an additional 14 days to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country.
Buhari had, on March 29, ordered the lockdown for an initial period of 14 days, while several states had also introduced similar restrictions.
The President, who made the announcement in a televised speech on Monday evening, maintained that the Federal Government had a two-step approach to tackling the virus.
According to him, the approach is, first, to protect the lives of Nigerians and residents living in the country and, second, to preserve the livelihoods of workers and business owners.
He said, “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.
COVID-19, is a matter of life and death, not a joke – President
“I am, therefore, once again, asking you all to work with government in this fight. This is not a joke. It is a matter of life and death. Mosques in Makkah and Madina have been closed. The Pope celebrated Mass on an empty St. Peter’s Square.
“The famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris held Easter Mass with less than 10 people. India, Italy and France are in complete lockdown. Other countries are in the process of following suit. We cannot be lax.”
Buhari stated that the previously issued guidelines on exempted services should remain, adding that, though it was a difficult decision to take, he was convinced it was the right one.
According to him, the repercussions of any premature end to the lockdown action are unimaginable.
The President noted that no country could afford the full impact of a sustained restriction of movement on its economy.
I am aware of daily income earners’ pain – Buhari
He said, “I am fully aware of the great difficulties experienced especially by those who earn a daily wage such as traders, day-workers, artisans and manual workers.
