No fresh lockdown, but Nigerians need to help us –Lai Mohammed
By Modupe Shodeinde
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, reiterated that the Federal Government has no plans to impose another lockdown on Nigeria.
The Minister on Monday, at a conference in Lagos, said the Federal Government is aware of the adverse effect another lockdown would have on the already strained economy.
He however expressed concern over the negligent attitude of Nigerians towards laid down safety measure to curb the spread of the virus, and appealed that they adhere to all protocols outlined by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
The minister said, “On the issue of lockdown, I don’t think there is any time when the Federal Government has said it is going to have a second lockdown.
“However, the Federal Government is very unhappy that Nigerians are not adhering to the basic Covid-19 protocols of wearing face masks, or practicising social distancing, of washing hands, of ensuring that they do gather in large numbers.
“If we do not do these, the surge will continue and with the new strain of Covid-19 which is becoming much more difficult to handle than the old strain, the Federal Government will continue to insist and encourage Nigerians to please obey the Covid-19 protocols.
“The Federal Government is aware of the economic and social implications of a second lockdown but we want to call on Nigerians to help us, help themselves and help the economy, by adhering strictly to the Covid-19 protocols.”
The Federal Government in March 2020 during the first wave of the pandemic had imposed a lock down on the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun States for over five weeks to curb its spread.
The lockdown had had adverse effect on economic activities, with a lot of people losing their source of income as businesses cut their workforce and some folded up.
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry had put the loss at about N3 billion in the period under review.
