Lockdown Will Last As Long As Necessary — Buhari

The ongoing lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Lagos and Ogun States may continue for as long as necessary, President Muhammadu Buhari hinted on Saturday.

The lockdown may even be extended to more states as the total confirmed cases in the country reached 318 last night.

Buhari in a statement on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu said made afresh appeal to Nigerians to endure the harsh realities of some of the conditions imposed in the fight against Coronavirus.

He said all countries of the world are currently fighting for their own survival and Nigeria’s help will come from no other country but from Nigerians themselves.

While appreciating Nigerians for their understanding so far, he warned that the current lockdown in parts of the country might be extended.

The original 14-day lockdown in the FCT and Lagos and Ogun States should have ended on Tuesday.

He said: “we realize that today, there will be sons and daughters unable to visit their parents, and elders that are isolated from young ones. And there will be those who live day-to-day, eating as they earn, who face real and present suffering.

“No elected government could ask more of the citizens of the country that elected them than today we ask of you. But we must ask you – once more – to observe restrictions on movement where they are in place, and follow the instructions of our scientists and medical advisers: stay home, wash your hands, save lives.

“The freedoms we ask you to willingly forsake today will only last as long as our scientific advisers declare they are necessary. But they are essential – world over – to halt and defeat the spread of this virus.

“For those who suffer most egregiously, the Government has announced multiple measures to assist: 70,000 tonnes of grain is being released from the National Strategic Grain Reserves for distribution to those in most need; distribution of small cash payments are also being made, and will continue to be made by the federal government in the states and local government areas.

“We ask you to listen and follow public announcements via the mass media for instructions as to how to receive this government support – and learn of more public assistance in the coming days.

“All that the Government is asking you to endure is because nowhere in the world today is there any known way of defeating this pandemic. There is no vaccine. And that means there are choices to be made: between continuing as usual, or accepting the restrictions even when they come with unintended consequences.

“But at this darkest hour, it remains our duty to offer you the full and unvarnished truth: This is a global pandemic. 210 countries and territories across the globe are affected. We cannot expect others to come to our assistance. No one is coming to defeat this virus for us.

“Instead, the defeat of the virus in our country will be in our hands, alone. We cannot wait for others. We can only depend on ourselves now. And so we must – and we will – end this outbreak ourselves as Nigerians, together.”