"Nigerians (including Buhari) 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". Garba Shehu said
The Nigeria Presidency has issued a statement admonishing Nigerians to comply with the recently-ratified executive order on mandatory use of face masks and maintenance of social distancing to curtail the spread of the dreadful coronavirus infection.
In a statement on Sunday evening, President Mohammed Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, beckoned COVID-19 task forces nationwide to ensure compliance with the new regulation, which he emphasised, was the only solution to avert another lockdown in the country.
Mr. Shehu’s admonition comes 24 hours after President Buhari violated the order, only four days after signing it. The president had on Tuesday, signed the regulation in exercise of his powers under Section 4 of the Quarantine Act.
Part of the document directs that “a physical distance of at least two metres must be maintained at all times between persons.” The regulation also stipulates that nobody should be in a public premise except “he is wearing a face mask covering the nose and mouth.”
JOURNAL REPORTERS had reported how one of the president’s aides, Bashir Ahmad similarly violated the executive order at a friend’s wedding at Bauchi.
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Mr. Ahmad was spotted at the ceremony without a face mask or maintaining social distancing.
Mr. Buhari, who was pictured in the company of some APC governors on Saturday in his hometown Daura, in Katsina State, where he revalidated his membership of the ruling party, failed to adhere to the order which prescribes six months in prison for violators upon conviction.
JOURNAL REPORTERS learnt that although the president had worn the mask at some point, he was later spotted amidst scores of people holding his facemask rather than have it on, just as the physical distance of two metres was overlooked.
Mr. Buhari’s defiance of his own executive order, has generated furore amongst Nigerians, many of whom have criticised the president for not practising what he preaches.
The Presidency, however, reiterated Sunday that ”Nigerians are required to wear masks, wash hands regularly with soap and clean water, and keep safe distance with anybody not in their household.”
The statement signed by Mr. Shehu was silent on the president’s open violation of the COVID-19 protocol.
Below is the full Statement
"PRESIDENCY: NIGERIANS SHOULD COMPLY WITH MANDATORY MASK WEARING TO AVERT LOCKDOWNS
"The Presidency is worried by reports of non-compliance with just signed Executive Order that makes mask wearing and observation of social distancing in the public mandatory, appealing to Nigerians to give their maximum cooperation for success of the policy.
"President Muhammadu Buhari introduced the order with the best of intentions and not with any motive to punish citizens.
"The Presidency appeals to State Governments, traditional rulers and religious leaders to play active roles in the sensitization and enforcement of the Executive Order.
"To achieve this, COVID-19 task forces and committees should persuade members of the public to cooperate with the government in achieving compliance and avoid crude methods that may create resistance and resentment, thereby defeating the primary goal of the Executive Order.
"The Buhari administration is most reluctant to lockdown the country and continues to emphasize the non-pharmaceutical measures and the only way to avert lockdowns 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 (including Buhari) 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.
"Nigerians must ignore baseless conspiracy theories that seek to deny the reality of the pandemic by complying with the order to wear masks.
"We have a duty to protect ourselves and others in this difficult global health crisis; no one has immunity against this pandemic. Ignoring health warnings and refusing to comply with safety measures does more harm than good.
"The COVID-19 pandemic is a major threat to public health and wearing of masks, social distancing in public places and the basic hygiene are necessary measures that have to be taken to safeguard the well-being of our citizens.
"Nigerians must always have it in mind that the COVID-19 pandemic is not only a threat to the health of the population but it is equally so to the national economy, and to every aspect of our everyday life.
"Protecting public health is one of the sacred duties of any responsible government and the administration will not abdicate that responsibility."
_____________Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
January 31, 2021
Reviewed by Okenwa Chinedu
on
January 31, 2021
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