The Interview Editors
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday extended the lockdown in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun for another two weeks while promising to release additional guidelines for the stay at home quarantine order which he has just signed.
Speaking in a national broadcast, the president suggesting the country may have live with coronavirus for a long time to come asked 10 of his ministers to come up with a comprehensive policy for an economy that will function under COVID-19.
The President also laid down plans to expand the social investment register from 2.6 million to 3.6 million people.
He said, “The public health response to COVID-19 is built on our ability to detect, test and admit cases as well as trace all their contacts. While I note some appreciable progress, we can achieve a lot more. Today, the cessation of movement, physical distancing measures and the prohibition of mass gatherings remain the most efficient and effective way of reducing the transmission of the virus.
“By sustaining these measures, combined with extensive testing and contact tracing, we can take control and limit the spread of the disease. Our approach to the virus remains in 2 steps – First, to protect the lives of our fellow Nigerians and residents living here and second, to preserve the livelihoods of workers and business owners.”
Buhari said, “With this in mind and 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. 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, he said, “Are in complete lockdown. Other countries are in the process of following suit. We can not 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 are unimaginable.”
The President said the country must not lose the gains achieved thus far.
He said, “We must not allow a 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.”
Speaking on the effect on the economy, he said, “I will also ask our health care professionals to redouble their efforts to identify all suspected 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, dayworkers, 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 seeking work.”
He said that despite these realities, there was greater danger in calling off the restrictions at this time: “In the past two weeks, we announced palliative measures such as food distribution, cash transfers and loans repayment waivers to ease the pains of our restrictive policies during this difficult time.”
He said the palliatives will be sustained.
“I have also directed that the current social register be expanded from 2.6 million households to 3.6 million households in the next two weeks. This means we will support an additional one million homes with our social investment programs. A technical committee is working on this and will submit a report to me by the end of this week.”
On plans to reopen the economy even under the threat of the pandemic, the president said, “To ensure our economy adapts to this new reality, I am directing the Ministers of Industry, Trade and Investment, Communication and Digital Economy, Science and Technology, Transportation, Aviation, Interior, Health, Works and Housing, Labour and Employment and Education to jointly develop a comprehensive policy for a ‘Nigerian economy functioning with COVID-19’.
“The Ministers will be supported by the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and Economic Sustainability Committee in executing this mandate. I am also directing the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the National Security Adviser, the Vice Chairman, National Food Security Council and the Chairman, Presidential Fertiliser Initiative to work with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to ensure the impact of this pandemic on our 2020 farming season is minimised.”
