(BUHARI’S SPEECH): Why we are extending lockdown by 14 days in Lagos, Ogun, FCT

Preisdent Muhammadu Buhari in his broadcast said there was the need to extend the restriction of movement in Lagos, Ogun states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) based on the briefings and reports from the Presidential Task Force and the various option offered.

According to the president: “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 fourteen 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.

“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 Dome 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.

“The previously issued guidelines on exempted services shall remain. 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 is unimaginable. We must not lose the gains achieved thus far. We must not allow rapid increase in community transmission. We must endure a little longer.

“I will therefore take this opportunity to urge you all to notify the relevant authorities if you or your loved ones develop any symptoms. I will also ask our health care professionals to redouble their efforts to identify all suspect cases, bring them into care and prevent transmission to others.

“No country can afford the full impact of a sustained restriction of movement on its economy. I am fully aware of the great difficulties experienced especially by those who earn a daily wage such as traders, day workers, artisans and manual workers.

“For this group, their sustenance depends on their ability to go out. Their livelihoods depend on them mingling with others and about seeking work. But despite these realities, we must not change the restrictions.”

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