President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday extended the lockdown order in Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to another two weeks after the initials two weeks elapses on Tuesday.
The President in a national broadcast Monday evening declared: “…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. I am therefore once again asking you all to work with Government in this fight.”
President Buhari noted that the coronavirus threat to human race is not a joke. “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,” he declared.
President Buhari maintained that the previously issued guidelines on exempted services shall remain.
He noted: “This is a difficult decision to take, but I am convinced that this is the right decision. The evidence is clear.
“The repercussions of any premature end to the lockdown action are unimaginable.
“We must not lose the gains achieved thus far. We must not allow a rapid increase in community transmission. We must endure a little longer.”
President Buhari recalled that in his address on Sunday, 29th March, 2020, he asked the residents of Lagos and Ogun States as well as the Federal Capital Territory to stay at home for an initial period of fourteen days starting from Monday, 30th March 2020.
He observed that many State Governments also introduced similar restrictions.
The President also disclose his awareness that the difficult decision knowing will severely disrupt citizen’s livelihoods and bring undue hardship to people and their communities.
He consoled that, “however, such sacrifices are needed to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our country. They were necessary to save lives.”
The President explained: “Our objective was, and still remains, to contain the spread of the Coronavirus and to provide space, time and resources for an aggressive and collective action.
“The level of compliance to the COVID-19 guidelines issued has been generally good across the country. I wish to thank you all most sincerely for the great sacrifice you are making for each other at this critical time.”