President Muhammadu Buhari has slammed a self-isolation order on all Federal Government officials including his Chief of Staff (CoS), Malam Abba Kyari, who had just returned from Germany on an official engagement.
In fact, Mr. Kyari has just reportedly tested positive to the dreaded pandemic.
President Buhari has, therefore, ordered all federal Government officials who returned from high burden COVID 19 countries to self-isolate after some of them returned from Germany last week, refusing to embark on self-isolation.
“Some of them were reported to have been coughing loudly and continuously around the Villa last week, including at the FEC meeting presided over by the President.
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“He has ordered that all FG officials who may have recently returned from a trip to any of the high burden countries `must be made’ to isolate even where they refuse to do so voluntarily,’’ Some Aso Villa sources told the reporters.
Recall that the President’s daughter, who returned, last week, from the United Kingdom, went straight into self-isolation, according to a Tweet from the First Lady. Also, the Director-General of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), who visited China at the earlier days of the outbreak of COVID pandemic, had self-isolated upon return to the country.
It would be recalled that the NCDC DG, while addressing the media, last Thursday, after the NEC meeting at the Villa, was asked to comment on the tweet by the First Lady that her daughter who had just returned from UK is self-isolating.
He responded praising the first family for good leadership.
A delegation of the FG led by the Chief of Staff, including the Chairman of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had attended a meeting in Germany recently and returned last week Sunday.
It was leant that one of the officials attended FEC last week, while the other reported at his office only to be advised by his staff to leave in line with the existing self-isolation rules of the NCDC.
The sources said large delegations would no longer be received at the Presidential Villa until further notice while any presidential events in the country with large attendance have also been canceled.
“The Presidential order is to ensure that the Presidency sets a good example regarding social distancing and discouragement of large gatherings.’’
