Prompted by PDP, Buhari reacts to entry of Covid-19 into Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday expressed sadness over the confirmation of Covid-19 in the country, despite efforts made to prevent it.

Buhari said this in his first public comment on the disease since it was recorded in Nigeria on Friday in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, calling on Nigerians not to panic.

Recall that the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier on Sunday in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan described as absolute leadership failure that Mr. President has not considered it imperative to show concern by directly addressing a panic-stricken nation, even in the face of escalated national trepidations and conflicting reports.

In his reaction, the statement by Garba said “President Muhammadu Buhari notes with sadness, the recent confirmation of a case of Covid-19 infection in Lagos, Nigeria.

“This was despite the ardent efforts of the government regarding preparedness and response measures put in place in our country’s borders and beyond”, Garba said in the statement.

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President Buhari also called on Nigerians to adhere to all the safety measures disseminated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The statement reads further: “President Buhari, however, commends the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies whose diligence and efficiency enabled the case to be detected, diagnosed and isolated quickly, even while swift measures were taken to identify and follow up on those with whom the index patient came into contact.

“The President commends the responses of the Federal Ministry of Health and Governments of Lagos and Ogun States as well as other relevant agencies to the reported incident and calls for vigilance on the part of all citizens and responsible government agencies.

“President Buhari urges Nigerians not to panic about the news of this first case of Covid-19 in our country, as undue alarm would do us more harm than good.

“Instead, Nigerians should strictly observe the advisories disseminated by the Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation (WHO), on the best way to prevent infection.”

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