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Buhari’s Lockdown Order Is Legal- VP Yemi Osinbajo Love 1

PRESIDENT BUHARI SIGNS 2018 BUDGET 1. 2018 BUDGET SIGNED: President Muhammadu Buhari flanked by the Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo Signs the 2018 Budget. Others are Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Danjuma Goje, Chairman House Committee on Appropriations, Hon Mustapha Bala, SSAP on National Assembly (House) Hon Sulieman Kwau, SSAP on National Assembly (Senate) […]

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The Vice president Prof Yemi Osinbajo has supported his boss stating that President Buhari’s lockdown order imposed on Lagos, Abuja and FCT is legal and within his jurisdictional powers backed by an act of the National Assembly.

Buhari's Lockdown Order Is Legal- VP Yemi Osinbajo — Buhari’s Lockdown Order Is Legal- VP Yemi Osinbajo

The Vice President made this known while speaking at a Google Hangout programme held in Abuja on Monday, March 30th organised by the HACK COVID-19 Call Centre. The Vp issued a statement to back his up via his media Laolu Akande, where he stated that the Quarantine Act of 1926 which is published in all Nigerian Laws allows the President to put a part of the country any designate local area, any part of the country, as a place that may be infected or under the threat of a communicable disease, and he can then make regulations of any kind.

He’s statement about the Lockdown reads;

“Regarding the legality of the lockdowns announced by the President yesterday, -Sunday-I think it is entirely legal. These steps are proactive, very relevant, important and backed by law.

“I am not so sure some of the people who have commented on the issue have come across the Quarantine Act. There is a Quarantine Act of 1926, it’s been published in all of the Laws of Nigeria, every edition of the Laws of Nigeria, it is there.

“What the Act does is that it allows the President to designate any local area, any part of the country, as a place that may be infected or under the threat of a communicable disease, and he can then make regulations of any kind.

“For instance, he can say, people should not go out; no public gatherings etc. So, it is a regulation that gives the President powers and these powers come from the National Assembly because, of course, it is an act of the National Assembly.

“So, the President has extensive powers under the Quarantine Act of 1926. Also, Governors have extensive powers under the same Quarantine Act.

“It is barely a one page legislation, so it is not particularly difficult to find the relevant provisions and it is not particularly difficult to read, very straightforward. So, the President has all the powers.

“Many of us are not familiar with the Influenza pandemic that killed several millions around the world in 1918. At that time regulations were made here, very similar to what we have today, although that was under the colonial authorities.

“They also banned public gatherings, banned gatherings in places of worship then. So, there is even good historical precedence for some of what we are doing today.”

Lockdown Photo Credit: Getty

The Vice president Prof Yemi Osinbajo has supported his boss stating that President Buhari’s lockdown order imposed on Lagos, Abuja and FCT is legal and within his jurisdictional powers backed by an act of the National Assembly.

“Regarding the legality of the lockdowns announced by the President yesterday, -Sunday-I think it is entirely legal. These steps are proactive, very relevant, important and backed by law.

“I am not so sure some of the people who have commented on the issue have come across the Quarantine Act. There is a Quarantine Act of 1926, it’s been published in all of the Laws of Nigeria, every edition of the Laws of Nigeria, it is there.

“What the Act does is that it allows the President to designate any local area, any part of the country, as a place that may be infected or under the threat of a communicable disease, and he can then make regulations of any kind.

“For instance, he can say, people should not go out; no public gatherings etc. So, it is a regulation that gives the President powers and these powers come from the National Assembly because, of course, it is an act of the National Assembly.

“So, the President has extensive powers under the Quarantine Act of 1926. Also, Governors have extensive powers under the same Quarantine Act.

“It is barely a one page legislation, so it is not particularly difficult to find the relevant provisions and it is not particularly difficult to read, very straightforward. So, the President has all the powers.

“Many of us are not familiar with the Influenza pandemic that killed several millions around the world in 1918. At that time regulations were made here, very similar to what we have today, although that was under the colonial authorities.

“They also banned public gatherings, banned gatherings in places of worship then. So, there is even good historical precedence for some of what we are doing today.”

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