COVID-19: Taskforce implores Nigerians to ignore reports of lockdown alert

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has urged Nigerians to disregard a fake fresh lockdown alert in circulation on social media.

This was contained in a statement issued by the COVID-19 PTF National Coordinator, Dr Sani Aliyu, on Thursday, January 15.

There have been concerns regarding a fresh lockdown as the country battles the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, Aliyu revealed that the FG was aware of the economic implication of a fresh lockdown and, therefore, urged Nigerians to adhere to all guidelines to curb the spread of the disease.

He said, “We are aware of a fake message on WhatsApp that we’ve declared a lockdown in the country. This is absolutely not true. I call on the Nigerian public to please ignore this message and continue with normal activities.

“I’m also calling on the public to abide by the non-pharmaceutical interventions including wearing of face masks in the public, washing of hands, and maintaining physical distancing.

“There is an established way that we send our messages to the public including declarations when it comes to infection control. So, please ignore what is going around on WhatsApp.”

4wardwego had reported that the FG March 2020 locked down the Federal Capital Territory as well as Lagos and Ogun States for over five weeks as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic.

The lockdown had a tremendous effect on economic activities with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry putting the loss at about N3bn in the period under review.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, January 14, urged his critics to be fair in criticizing his administration; by considering how the nation was when he took over the realms of power.

He also asked his critics to consider the resources available to the Federal Government under his watch; and what his government had done with the available resources.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President made the call while receiving the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission, Rev. Yakubu Pam, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The statement was titled “Criticise us fairly, President Buhari appeals to Nigerian elite.”

Apart from the state of the country at the inception of his regime, Buhari also asked his critics to consider the resources available to the Federal Government under his watch while criticising him.