President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, signed the Covid-19 Regulations, 2020, which declared Covid-19 a dangerous infectious disease.
The President’s spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, confirmed the development in a statement in Abuja.
He said Buhari’s action was in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Quarantine Act (CAP Q2 LFN 2004), and all other powers enabling him in that behalf.
”The Regulations, effective March 30, 2020, also gave legal backing to the various measures outlined in the President’s National Broadcast on March 29, 2020, such as Restriction/Cessation of Movement in Lagos, FCT and Ogun State and others toward containing the spread of the pandemic in the country.
”In addition, to ensure that Nigerians can still perform on-line transactions and use ATMs whilst observing these restrictions, exemption is granted financial system and money markets to allow very skeletal operations in order to keep the system in light operations during the pendency of these regulations,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 20 new cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The NCDC, through its verified Twitter account, said that as at 9 p.m., there were 131 confirmed cases of COVID19 reported in Nigeria with two deaths.
The centre said out of the new cases of COVID19, 13 were reported in Lagos, four in FCT, two in Kaduna and one in Oyo State.
It added that currently, Lagos has 81; Abuja- 25, Ogun, Three, Ekiti, one, Oyo, eight, Osun, two, Enugu, two, Edo, two, Bauchi, two, Kaduna three, while Benue and Rivers have one case respectively.
Lagos State has the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in country with 81 cases.
The cases reported were from travelers who have just returned to the country.
“Other cases were from people who have come in contact with infected people.
Meanwhile, the NCDC said it has expanded its testing capacity for COVID19 and now has six Molecular Functional laboratories in the country with the capacity to test for COVID19.
The agency said it would scale up the number of laboratories to 13 in the next three weeks.
These are in Ebonyi, Borno, Rivers, Plateau, Kano, Sokoto and Kaduna states.
The laboratories, the centre said, would assist other response activities, thereby reducing the numbers of deaths.
It will also provide diagnostic support for a number of states in the country.
It will be critical to reducing turnaround time between identifying a suspected case and confirmation.
The centre hinted that there were no Rapid Diagnostic Test kit for the COVID19 that had been validated and approved for sale yet.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on Monday, suspended clearing of cheques until further notice following the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and FCT to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
The suspension was announced in a circular to Deposit Money Banks and the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) by the Director of Banking Services at CBN, Mr Sam Okojere.
The bank explained that in view of these developments and in furtherance to the Bank’s effort to ensure hitch-free clearing and settlement activities, the CBN had therefore suspended it until further notice.
The apex bank further stated that the clearing of cheques instruments in the Nigerian clearing starting from March and for the avoidance of doubt, no fresh cheque instrument would be allowed to pass through March 31.
The CBN noted that only returned cheque would be treated on the said date.
“However, settlement activities for electronic instruments will continue to hold during this period of suspension”.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has charged security agents to be friendly in enforcing the lockdown order announced on Sunday by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Sanwo-Olu gave the charge on Monday, during a Security Council meeting held at the State House, Marina, with commanders of all security formations in the state.
He urged those who would be carrying out the enforcement to show high professionalism in dealing with erring persons.
According to him, high-handedness may lead to violation of human rights of residents.
Lagos is the worst hit among the three states under lockdown by the Federal Government.
Addressing newsmen after the meeting, the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, said that the presidential directive would be fully implemented.
Odumosu said that commanders of each security agency had resolved to comply with the governor’s entreaty.
He said that the enforcement of the restriction order would be executed with human face, but pleaded with residents and inter-state commuters to exercise self-compliance with the presidential directive.
”We have just concluded a Security Council meeting with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and as commanders of security agencies in Lagos, we have fully digested the presidential directive on COVID-19.
“We have all resolved to comply and enforce all the restrictions.
”The enforcement of the restrictions and all directives will be done with human face. We want to appeal to members of the public; what matters most is self compliant.
”They must try as much as possible to comply voluntarily to the laid down regulations, so that we can collectively defeat the pandemic,” he said.
The Lagos police Commissioner said that those who had been exempted in the presidential directive would be allowed to move unhindered at any time of the day in the containment period, but that the exemption was not blanket.
Odumosu said some other professionals and government officials on essential duties would be allowed to move, but said their leadership must obtain clearance from security agencies before sending out staff to work.
”The exemption is not blanket. Some other measurements will still be attached to it and sent to various government ministries in the state.
”The Commissioners in charge of these ministries will have to review and confirm those who are exempted are actually qualified to be exempted,” he said.
In Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun announced that the total lockdown of the state, which was scheduled to commence on Monday by 11pm, has been shifted to Friday.
Abiodun made the announcement at the commissioning of the 128-bed Isolation Centre located at HID Awolowo Model College, Ikenne in Ikenne Local Government Area of the state.
The governor, however, stressed that the ban on inter states and international borders would commence by 11 p.m. on Monday as scheduled.
He said the postponement, which followed a consultation with and approval from President Muhammadu Buhari, was to enable the state and the masses to prepare for the lockdown.
“After consultation with the Presidency, the interstate and international borders will close tonight at 11.p.m. as directed by the President.
“The total lockdown of Ogun will, however, be effective from 11p.m. on Friday.
“This is to enable us finalise the mechanisms for the distribution of relief materials and food items ahead of the total lockdown.
“We appeal to our people to abide by these government orders and the advice provided by the Ministry of Health on hand and respiratory hygiene as well as social distancing.
“Our government is conscious of the implications and discomfort associated with these measures.
“Nonetheless, we are constrained to do this because the available options are limited because failure to take these measures would have dire consequences.
“Coronavirus has upturned people’s lives and destinies and we have to fight with everything that we have, including stepping down our individual preferences and freedoms.
” These restrictions will be kept under constant review and we will relax them if the evidence makes it compelling.
“The restrictions are without prejudice to the need for people to reasonably move within their neighbourhoods to buy essentials such as food, drugs and access healthcare as contained in Regulation 8 of Ogun Corona Virus Disease (Emergency Prevention) Regulations 2020,” he said.
Abiodun explained that food items and other palliatives would be provided in the next few days tocushion the effect of the lockdown on the citizens.
“The government is working out the modalities and engaging relevant stakeholders to particularly identify the poor and vulnerable groups and to ensure that the palliative and relief items reach the intended beneficiaries at the grassroots.
“During the period of this lockdown, all markets, motor parks, public squares and high human-traffic areas will be fumigated and disinfected,” he said.
The governor also announced other plans by the state government to check the spread, isolate and treat any positive case of coronaavirus in the state.
“In this trying time, arrangements are at an advanced stage to establish our own biomedical laboratory so that we can test suspected cases in the state without going to Lagos or Abuja.
“This laboratory, which will be in place by this weekend, will minimise the test turn-around time which currently is between 3 – 5 days and fast-track the treatment of positive cases.
“It will also reduce period of apprehension and anxiety for those suspected of infection and their relations.
“In furtherance of the earlier directive requiring not more than 20 per cent of the state’s workforce to be at work, government now directs that all public servants in Ogun should work from home except those on essential services.
“The government hereby appeals to all retired health workers, those in the private sector and volunteers to come forward and make their services available to complement the efforts of our core medical and paramedical personnel,” he said.
Meanwhile, business mogul Alhaji Aminu Dantata has donated N300 million to the Kano State COVID-19 Support Fund.
A statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammed Garba, and member of the fund raising commitee, said Dantata announced the donation barely 24 hours after the inauguration of the committee.
The statement also said two businessesmen, Alhaji Abba Sumaila and Alhaji Abubakar Dalhatu, donated 500 sacks of spaghetti and N5 million respectively.
“All commissioners and political office holders in the state, have also donated 50 percent of their salaries to the noble cause.
“The first donation of N28.5m from UBA was yesterday announced by Governor Ganduje at the inauguration ceremony, while Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has pledged to provide all needed facilities for the earmarked 600-bed Isolation Centre at Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.
“The committee, therefore, appeal to organizations and wealthy individuals within and outside the state, to donate generously towards the humanitarian gesture.
“Anyone willing to donate to the committee in cash should pay/transfer to the following account: Kano State COVID-19 Support, UBA, Account No: 1022751785.
“Donations in kind are also collected at a warehouse at number 94, Maganda Road and Kano State Government Printing Press, Emir’s Palace Road,” the statement said.
The 38-member committee was set up on Sunday by Kano state government to seek and collect donations from corporate organizations and individuals in cash or kind.
The committee was also given the mandate to distribute the generated fund to those in need, so as to relieve the harsh effect of the measures taken by government against the spread of Covid-19 in Kano State.
