President Muhammadu Buhari will address the nation Monday, April 27, 2020 at 8pm.
The presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, in a statement issued this afternoon, enjoined television, radio and other electronic media stations are to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) respectively for the broadcast.
The second 14 days lockdown imposed on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, and Ogun States by President Buhari to halt the spread of the pandemic COVID-19 ends midnight today (Monday).
Last week, governors of the 36 States of the federation advised the federal government to allow internal free movement but with restrictions on large gatherings and assemblies.
A leaked letter dated April 24, 2020 from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation/Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 Boss Mustapha also advocated compulsory use of face masks in the public.
The letter signed NGF chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, was written as a follow-up to a teleconference meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.
READ: As COVID-19 lockdown ends, pressure mounts on Buhari to relax restrictions
The governors, if approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, suggested in the letter that the impending broadcast on the lockdown incorporated: “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 of flights; and compulsory use of face masks/coverings in the public.”
“Recall at the meeting it was agreed that the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) articulates the issues that it would want to be included in the next Presidential Pronouncement on COVID-19 so as to have a Uniform and coordinated Policy on COVID-19 at both the national and sub-national levels,” the letter added.
Last Wednesday, the governors “unanimously” agreed to the implementation of an inter-State lockdown in the country over the next two weeks to mitigate the spread of the pandemic COVID-19 virus from State to State.
In a communiqe issued by the NGF chairman at the end of the sixth COVID-19 teleconference meeting said only essential services would be permitted.
It would be recalled that President Buhari currently imposed lockdown in only the FCT, Lagos and Ogun States to halt the spread of the novel pandemic coronavirus.
Some of the States have taken similar measures to fight the deadly virus but there is no nationwide lockdown from the federal government.
Health experts say the country may be heading towards the need for nationwide lockdown to stop the virus as confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country as announced by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) jumped above 1000.
Daily Trust learned that the proposed inter-state lockdown by governors would not begin until after the end of the current ones imposed on three places by the federal government.
READ: Governors agree on 14 days national COVID-19 lockdown
President Buhari yesterday received the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire and the Director General (DG) of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu.
The meeting held behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, came ahead of today’s nationwide broadcast.
The President usually addresses the nation after receiving briefing from the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 whose membership includes Dr Ehanire and Dr Ihekweazu.
Ehanire, who speaking with State House reporters on the outcome of the meeting, said they briefed the President on the activities and overall positions of the task on COVID-19 and presented their recommendations on the way forward.
“We also brought the overall summary a position of the Presidential Task Force which as you know comprises of not only the health ministry but other ministries.
“We have aggregated the opinions that we have, weighing the health and the socio-economic factors and everything, to present our own opinion and recommendations to Mr President,’’ he said.
The minister said the nation was winning the fight against the pandemic as all relevant health institutions had agreed to work together to achieve the desired goal of defeating the novel Coronavirus.
He said: “The fight is going on very well. As I said, all countries have continued with the struggle against Coronavirus, using the strategies that they have developed for their own countries.
“We have developed a strong strategy as we are working with other experts groups like the NCDC and relevant health organisations.
“So, we are also working with the states and the governors.’’
While speaking on the reported Kano strange disease, Dr Ehanire said his ministry had been communicating with relevant agencies including Kano State Government with a view to addressing the health problem.
The DG of the NCDC, while speaking, advised Nigerians against wasting their meagre resources on the procurement of “uncertified Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits”.
He said: “We will continue to build up our testing strategies. At the moment 14 testing centres have been activated across the country.
“We want to bring the test closer to every state. Everybody is working very hard to solve this problem.
“I can see that some people are already procuring Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits. They don’t work as far as we know.
“So, I will really recommend that we all stick to the National Strategy, build on it, support its expansion and together we will get on top of the pandemic.’’
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