Nigerians hoping and praying that the lockdown imposed on their states and cities by the Federal and state governments to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country may have to apply some brake to their optimism and wait a little longer.
President Muhammadu Buhari hinted this in a solidarity and stand-with-me message he sent to Nigerians on Saturday.
According to a statement issued by Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, President Buhari “wholeheartedly” thanked Nigerians for their patience and steely resolve to defeat the coronavirus pandemic.
After assuring that his government would do everything in its power to reduce the sufferings of Nigerians during the lockdown, the President would, however, not commit himself to any time frame when the lockdown would be lifted. Everything, he said, strictly depends on the advice of health experts handling the pandemic.
Rather, he declared: “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.”
Here is the reminder of the President’s message:
“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.”
Garba Shehu
