The federal government has warned that unless Nigerians adhere to the COVID-19 protocols, the country is risking another lockdown.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu in a statement on Sunday evening expressed worry over report of non-compliance with the instructions despite the recent Executive Order issued by President Muhammadu Buhari, prescribing sanctions for non-compliance.
The statement reads in part:
“The Buhari administration is most reluctant to lockdown the country and continues to emphasize the non-pharmaceutical measures and the only way to avert lockdown is to observe these measures as put in place by the Presidential Task Force.
“Nigerians have come a long way from the dreaded lockdown and the administration is unhappy about any prospects of bringing it back as many citizens will not have food on the table without venturing out on a day- to-day business.
“Nigerians are required to wear masks, wash hands regularly with soap and clean water, and keep safe distance with anybody not in your household, hoping that this will help check spread of COVID-19.
“Though vaccine availability is within reach, the propensity of the public for noncompliance weakens the fight against the virus.”
Shehu added, “Nigerians must ignore baseless conspiracy theories that seek to deny the reality of the pandemic by complying with the order to wear masks.”
