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Breaking News….COVID-19 Lockdown: No Presidential Broadcast Today, Says Presidency

Published

6 years ago

May 18, 2020

Presidency has denied any plan of proposed nationwide broadcast by President Muhammadu Buhari, today to update Nigerians on the next level of way forward in course of further easing restrictions of movements and socioeconomic activities as the country battles with the control COVID-19 pandemic.

The denial was against the backdrop of media reports which had speculated since yesterday that President Buhari would broadcast today on the way forward, having received update and recommendations on the two weeks easing of lockdown.

The Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina, in a tweet few minutes ago, said rather than broadcast to the nation, the COVID-19 Presidential Task Force headed by the Secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha, would “during its usual media briefings bring the nation up to speed on the next steps.”

According to Adesina, “No presidential broadcast on COVID-19 updates today. None was planned. Rather, the Presidential Task Force will during its usual media briefings bring the nation up to speed on the next steps.”

Aliyu Sani, the national coordinator of the presidential task force on COVID-19, had while he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, said that the President would decide whether or not the country should go ahead with the second phase of the easing of the lockdown.

Earlier on Sunday the task force which is chaired by Boss Mustapha, met with the President at the State House in Abuja.

Others at the meeting include the Health Minister, Dr Osagie Ehanire; PTF National Coordinator, Dr Sani Aliyu; the Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, and others.

OPTIMUM TIMES reports that expectations are high that President Buhari would announce further measures to ease restrictions of movements and socioeconomic activities in order to set the economy on the part of recovery.

The expectations were further strengthen as many nations all over the world are announcing various measures targeted at unlocking socioeconomic activities. Also, in Nigeria, some state governments had initiated measures towards total unlocking.