President Muhammadu Buhari will not be addressing Nigerians on the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday, a presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, has said.
Adesina, in a tweet on his Twitter handle (@FemAdesina) on Monday, said no presidential address on COVID-19 updates was planned for today (Monday).
He said the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 would rather, during its usual media briefings, bring the nation up to speed on the next steps.
READ: COVID-19: FG announces new measures on Monday
The tweet reads: “No presidential broadcast on COVID-19 updates today.
“None was planned.
“Rather, the Presidential Task Force will during its usual media briefings bring the nation up to speed on the next steps.”
No presidential broadcast on COVID-19 updates today. None was planned. Rather, the Presidential Task Force will during its usual media briefings bring the nation up to speed on the next steps.
— Femi Adesina (@FemAdesina) May 18, 2020
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, on Sunday, had said Nigerians should expect new processes today (Monday) which is exactly two weeks after the start of a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States.
Mustapha said this at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the activities of the task force.
He said the team had supplied Buhari with all materials needed to take necessary action on COVID-19 which he described as a marathon race.
The SGF, who said communities must now take ownership of the battle to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, added that the disease would not disappear in the next two months.
READ: COVID-19 Lockdown violation: Fear heightens over community transmission in states
He stressed the need to protect the aged, the sick and people with underlying health challenges from the virus by maintaining the existing guidelines that banned congregation.
He said the PTF supplied Buhari with all the materials required to look at the issues.
“Because we’re in for the long haul, this is not a short distance race, is a marathon and we have to keep everything in perspective.
“So he [President Buhari] expressed his satisfaction with the PTF…
“Our numbers are going up, but you have to consider that our mortality too is not as drastic as it’s being expected,” he said.