Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha on Tuesday said only President Muhamnadu Buhari can determine whether the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja will be extended or not.
Buhari had a week ago ordered total lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and FCT for 14 days to checkmate the spread of Coronavirus.
Mustapha spoke at the Lagos House, Marina after he led members of the task force, accompanied by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on a tour of facilities put in place by the Lagos state government to contain and curb the spread of coronavirus.
He said only the president had the power to grant extension or not, but noted that Buhari did say the lockdown would be for 14 days in the first instance.
Mustapha said the President will look at all the indices, developments and prevailing situations, and if the motives for the lockdown has been achieved and after revaluation will arrive at a decision that will be in the best interest of Nigerians.
“It is only Buhari who can say that the lockdown will be extended or not. He did say during his address that Lagos, Ogun and FCT would be shutdown for 14 days in the first instance,” he said.
He said it is part of the reason for the visitation to Lagos and that all data, indices, documents and other necessary information will be submitted to the President and careful revaluation and study he would take a decision that will be in the interest of Nigerians.
“Basically this is part of the consultation, we are looking at the objectives that were set when the lockdown and quarantine declaration was signed by the president and subsequently by other states.
“Before the end of the week, we will do an evaluation and see how the objective that were set are being met.
‘’At the end of that exercise we will have the responsibility of reporting back to Mr. President .The President did say the declaration was on the advise of Minister of Health and experts that informed his decision in signing of the quarantine declaration 2020.
“At the end of our valuation, our advise and recommendation will be presented to Mr. President and at that point he and he alone can take that decision when the lockdown would either be extended or it will stop at the expiration of 14 days.
“In his address to the nation he did say 14 days in the first instance, so it is open, it is based on what has happened within this 14 days, have the objectives been met, have they satisfied the objectives, has it gone in the direction we wanted it go.
“If that has been achieved, he will look at all the information available to him as the president of Nigeria and i can assure you that he will take a decision that is in the best interest of the people of Nigeria”, Mustapha said.
He commended Lagos state for doing a great job in curbing the spread of coronavirus.
“On behalf of Mr. President, I wish to commend the government of Lagos State foe magnificently controlling the pandemic and for putting in place isolation centers, ICU facilities as well as establishing a wide network of contact tracing. The Commissioner for Health in Lagos State has also been serving as the Chair of the Committee of experts set up by the Federal Government to evaluate and accredit private medical facilities and other centers for the management of COVID-19 cases.”
They inspected isolation facilities at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos Island, Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, Yaba, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba and Gbagada General Hospital, Isolation Centre, Gbagada.
“Mustapha said, “so far, I think Lagos State is doing a great job. From what I’ve seen here, they’re putting up a first class and a world class facility that will help us in the management of those that are affected with COVID-19”.
According to him, the government is on course and the basic strategy of the national response is containment, “try as much as possible to reduce spreads to tracking of those that have already been infected so that we minimize the case of community transmission.
“And I think we’re doing very well. So far, processes that have been put in place, the plans, the objectives are being achieved. I listened to the briefing of the commissioner for Lagos State yesterday, where there was quite a clear indication that the reason for the lockdown and the processes that have been put in place is achieving its desired objective”.
He stressed on the need for more media enlightenment on the need to maintain social distances, “we need to maintain personal hygiene and we need to report anybody within the community that has shown symptoms of the infection, so that as quickly as possible, the help that is desired can be extended to those persons.
The taskforce team included: Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola and other personalities.
They inspected isolation facilities at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos Island, Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, Yaba, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba and Gbagada General Hospital, Isolation Centre, Gbagada.