The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said on Monday, January 4, 2021, that the Federal Government has in no point hinted on the reason to impose another round of lockdown in spite of the continuous rising of new COVID-19 cases.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed said this at a conference in Lagos, where he said the federal government does not intend to impose another national lockdown, but the government is very worried and sad that Nigerians are not adhering to all COVID-19 protocols outlined by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
“On the issue of lockdown, I don’t think there is any time when the Federal Government has said it is going to have a second lockdown. However, the Federal Government is very unhappy that Nigerians are not adhering to the basic Covid-19 protocols of wearing face masks or practising social distancing, of washing hands, of ensuring that they do gather in large numbers.
“If we do not do these, the surge will continue and with the new strain of Covid-19 which is becoming much more difficult to handle than the old strain, the Federal Government will continue to insist and encourage Nigerians to please obey the Covid-19 protocols.
“The Federal Government is aware of the economic and social implications of a second lockdown but we want to call on Nigerians to help us, help themselves and help the economy, by adhering strictly to the Covid-19 protocols.”
Lai Mohammed
The first lockdown which was imposed by the federal government in March 2020, had a tremendous effect on economic activities with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry putting the loss at about N3bn in the period under review and it was later announced in November 2020 that the Nigerian economy had slipped into a recession for the 2nd time in 5-years.
Many jobs were also lost as airlines, hotels, banks, amongst others cut their workforce due to the crushing effect of the lockdown.
Photo Credit: Getty
