Buhari Extended Lockdown In The Best Interest Of Nigerians – BMO

President Muhammadu Buhari did the right thing by extending the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has submitted.

The organization in a statement by its chairman, Niyi Akinsiju on Tuesday noted that the President considered the well-being of Nigerians as a top priority before making the decision.

Naija News recalls President Buhari had on Monday during his nationwide broadcast to Nigerians, announced the extension of the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT by another 14 days due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The extension has continued to attract various forms of reactions from groups and individuals.

In his view, the BMO Chairman, Akinsiju noted that if Buhari had not taken the action, the gains already achieved from the previous lockdown might be eroded in a matter of days.

He added that the President had access to information and health expert advice that enables him to take decisions in the best interest of the country.

“So, for him to take what he described as a painful decision in his nationwide broadcast, and even alluding to the choice between life and death, then Nigerians should know that it was a well-thought-out position.

“Even in countries with more developed health facilities, the emphasis is on physical distancing with little or no movement of people at this time because it is the most effective way of limiting community transmission of the virus.

“The alternative is to ease the lockdown and have a situation like that of Ecuador which has recorded so many deaths from the virus attack,” the BMO chairman said.

Akinsiju cited examples of some other countries that are experiencing worse situations as a result of the pandemic to justify the lockdown extension by the president.

“Even the US, with its acclaimed health facilities, is recording an average of 1,500 deaths on a daily basis. This is the kind of scenario the President is making efforts to avoid.

“A country like India, with its 1.3 billion population and more people per square kilometre, has just extended its nationwide lockdown by 21-days after the expiration of an earlier three-week stay-at-home directive.”

The BMO, therefore, enjoined Nigerians to endure the seeming hardship in order to enjoy greater gains, saying that “if we unlock prematurely, we may lose what we gained in two weeks in a few hours”.