BUHARI: Lockdown Will Last as Long as Necessary

President Muhammadu Buhari says that the movement restriction in several states in the country will remain as long as experts feel it necessary.

Buhari ordered 14 days in Lagos, Ogun and in the Federal Capital Territory to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Some state governments have also declared a curfew to restrict the movement of people and ensure social distance.

In a statement on Saturday, Garba Shehu, a presidential spokesman, quoted Buhari as saying that the lockdown is a major attempt to combat the spread of COVID-19.

He acknowledged the efforts of the Nigerians, as well as the sacrifices made during their stay at home.

Buhari assured Nigerians that the measure remains one of the safest ways to prevent the disease from getting worse.

The president said no vaccine was found to cure the virus, adding that the defeat of the coronavirus in the country is in the hands of Nigerians.

“We realized that today there will be sons and daughters unable to visit their parents and elders who are isolated from young people. And there will be those who live day to day, eating as they win, who face real and present suffering, ”he said.

“No elected government could ask for more citizens from the country that elected them than we ask you today. But we must ask you – again – to observe the movement restrictions where they are present and follow the instructions of our scientists and medical consultants: stay at home, wash your hands, save lives.

“The freedoms we ask you to gladly abandon today will only last as long as our scientific advisors declare that they are necessary. But they are essential – worldwide – to stop and defeat the spread of this virus. ”

He also spoke about palliatives, asking people to receive updates on how to be beneficiaries of the media.

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

“We ask that you listen and follow public announcements through the mass media for instructions on how to receive this support from the government – and learn about more public assistance in the coming days.

“All the government is asking you to resist is because nowhere in the world is there a known way to defeat this pandemic. There is no vaccine. And that means that there are choices to be made: between continuing as usual or accepting restrictions, even when they have unintended consequences.

“But in this darkest hour, it remains our duty to offer you the complete, unvarnished truth: this is a global pandemic. 210 countries and territories worldwide are affected. We cannot expect other people to come to our aid. No one is coming to defeat this virus for us.

“Instead, the defeat of the virus in our country will be in our hands, alone. We cannot wait for others. We can only trust ourselves now. And so we must – and we will – end this outbreak as Nigerians, together ”.

Nigeria continued to record an increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases.

On Friday evening, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) announced the confirmation of 17 new cases, bringing the total number to 305.