Buhari speaks on coronavirus, warns against panic

Three days after the confirmation of the first case of coronavirus (COVID-19), President Muhammad Buhari has spoken about the disease, urging Nigerians not to panic because of its presence.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Buhari noted with sadness, that a case of the infection was confirmed in Lagos despite the ardent efforts of the government regarding preparedness and response measures put in place in the country’s borders and beyond.

He however urged Nigerians not to panic about the news of this first case of Covid-19 in the country, as undue alarm would do the nation more harm than good.

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 President Buhari admonished instead, that Nigerians should strictly observe the advisories disseminated by the Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation (WHO), on the best way to prevent infection.

 He commended the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies whose diligence and efficiency, he said, enabled the case to be detected, diagnosed and isolated quickly, even while swift measures were taken to identify and follow up on those with whom the index patient came into contact.

 The President also commended the responses of the Federal Ministry of Health and Governments of Lagos and Ogun States as well as other relevant agencies to the reported incident and calls for vigilance on the part of all citizens and responsible government agencies.

 The statement said this  information was being broadcast in all available media by the Federal Ministry of Information.