Buhari may end or extend lockdown on Abuja, Lagos, Ogun – Boss Mustapha

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha on Tuesday said President Muhammadu Buhari may stop or extend the lockdown on the FCT, Lagos and Ogun States at the expiration of 14 days.

Mustapha, while speaking at a national briefing of the PTF in Lagos, said the PTF has began consultation and looking at the objectives that were set before the lockdown or signing of the quarantine declaration by President Buhari and subsequently by several other states.

He mentioned 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.

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“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. He and he alone will take the decision as to when the lockdown will either be extended or stopped at the expiration of 14 days.

“The President had, in his address to the nation, said that the 14 days lockdown was in the first instance; so it is open, based on what has happened within the 14days,” he said while responding to questions from newsmen.

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

He assured Nigerians of the unwavering commitment of the President to the war against COVID-19 and his readiness to mobilize resources to achieve our national objectives.

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The strategy adopted by the PTF working in conjunction with the states according to him, include testing, detection, isolation, contact tracing and management.

The strategy, he also said, has resulted in measures which include: restricted travel from 15 high burden countries worldwide; closure of the land, sea and air points of entry; restriction of movements in Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; and the introduction of social distancing and personal hygiene.

In his remarks, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment and for setting up the high-powered Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

“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,” he said.