As the country battles to contain Coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Government has appealed to Nigerians to comply with the lockdown directive and not resist or encourage others to resist it.
Chairman Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha, made this appeal, on Wednesday, while briefing Nigerians on the measures to combat the virus.
Mustapha noted that even President Muhammadu Buhari attested to the fact that the restriction of movement is a difficult decision but it is essential in the interest of every Nigerian.
“The President himself attests to the fact that it is a difficult, painful decision, a decision that must be taken in the interest of the people of Nigeria. We are cognisance of the fact that our social life has been disrupted by the lockdown.
“Our constant appeal to the people of Nigeria is to see the long-term gain that will come out of this temporary dislocation in our communal life and try all possible to accommodate the processes put in place by the Federal Government.
“So, this is not the time to encourage resistance to the lockdown. This is the time to appeal to our people to respect the advice that has come out from experts, states and Federal Government,” the PTF chairman said.
He also noted that the decision by the Federal Government and some state governments to restrict movement is not done in isolation as it is done in every other country combating the virus.
“We are not operating in isolation, we see what is happening all over the world and how some governments have reacted.
“Some countries have been on lockdown for the past one month, and they are not thinking about lifting the lockdown,” he added.
As at Thursday, April 16, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria is 407 with 34 new cases confirmed by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), on Wednesday night.