President Muhammadu Buhari announced yesterday in a nationwide broadcast the shutting down of the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states for an initial period of 14 days from 11pm of Monday, March 30 to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus disease.
“Based on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC, I am directing the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11 pm on Monday, 30th March 2020. This restriction will also apply to Ogun State due to its close proximity to Lagos and the high traffic between the two States. All citizens in these areas are to stay in their homes. Travel to or from other states should be postponed. All businesses and offices within these locations should be fully closed during this period,” said the president.
However, the president said hospitals and all related medical establishments, organisations in health care related manufacturing and distribution are exempted from the order.
Others are commercial establishments such as food processing, distribution and retail companies, petroleum distribution and retail entities, power generation, transmission and distribution companies, and private security companies.
Nevertheless, the broadcast has elicited a wave of reactions from Nigerians.
Reacting to the speech, the publisher of judgments of Supreme Court of Nigeria, Mr. Layi Babatunde, said the president’s restriction order to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the three affected areas is the right measure but that government should also provide palliatives to help residents cope with the lockdown.
He said the attorney general of the federation and state attorneys general must also work together to untie some of the legal knots posed by a federally imposed lockdown.
“While one will expect the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice in collaboration with affected states’ attorneys general, to quickly untie some of the legal knots posed by a federally imposed lockdown in parts of the country, without declaring a state of emergency as it were, the truth is that as clearly stated by the president we are in a situation of life and death and we need to appreciate the president’s speech from that prism whatever the issues and challenges are.
“The times call for understanding and cooperation from one and all and by the grace of God united we shall overcome.
As we work together as citizens with government, to overcome the multifaceted challenges posed by COVID-1919 government needs to look deeper into the challenges posed to businesses and the vulnerable with a view to providing additional timely succour and or palliatives,” he said
In his reaction, a senior lawyer, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa said he supports every measure taken to contain the coronavirus but argued that the president the president “has no powers to restrict the movement of persons without recourse to the national assembly.”
“We are running a constitutional democracy and it is illegal for the President to take over the affairs of any state of the federation without the express consent of the people of that state through their elected representatives.
“It is only the governor of the state through the house of assembly of the state that can make any declaration concerning the people of that state. Little wonder that the President could not cite any law that he relied upon for his declaration.
“I support every measure taken to contain the Coronavirus pandemic but such must be in accordance with law. If we allow this to stay, then tomorrow the president may just impose total restriction on all states of the federation for whatever reason.
“I humbly urge the president to reverse the restrictions and work with the states concerned in accordance with the laws of our land.
“Also, there must be measures put in place to address the financial consequences of the proposed shutdown, especially for small scale businesses, those who depend on daily earnings and the needy and vulnerable members of the societies to be affected,” he said.
For the executive director of Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) Africa, Mr. Samson Itodo, it was good to see the president address the nation at this auspicious moment.
“However, I wish he did this earlier or the restriction came since last week. We hope to see full implementation of the directives especially on the distribution of palliatives like food to cushion the effect of this lockdown,” he said.
The executive director, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, said he believed the president largely met expectations in terms of measures taken to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19.
However, he said he had expected the president to come up with stimulus package for the indigent and the vulnerable.
“The speech fell short of specifics on the palliative reliefs to be provided to the most vulnerable segment of our society. I would have expected to see in the presidential speech, the strategy and form the relief will take, and who will be the beneficiaries.
“Again, he failed to use the speech to direct anti-corruption agencies to monitor the spending of the money,” he said.
The executive director, Centre for Media Policy and Accountability, Yola, Dr. Suleiman A. Suleiman, described the restriction of movement in the affected areas as “commendable” but added that all the states that have recorded any case of COVID-19 should be covered by the order.
“But if the aim is to use the 14-day period to track all those who may have come into contact with confirmed cases, then it should apply to all states where there have been reported cases, including most recently Oyo State which is also close to Lagos.
“In fact, the government can also use this period to locate the over 4,000 persons that the minister of information reported are of interest on this issue.
“It is commendable that government has ordered a stay of payments for certain categories of loans, including those funded by the federal government. However, millions of other Nigerians in those states and beyond will also be affected by these restrictions economically and commercially.
“It will be more reassuring for Nigerians for the government to roll out a full-fledged economic response plan that will support the economic well-being and livelihoods of all Nigerians, not just those who have taken federal loans,” he said.
A twitter user, Adelekan Adeolu @senatorspeaks wrote: “Dear @NGRPresident the lock down of Lagos, Abuja and Ogun state is the right call, the virus need to be tamed and tamed fast. We could argue of not having enough time to prepare for it, but the virus won’t wait for anyone. @MBuhari please assist those who can’t feed at this time.”
