COVID-19: President Buhari’s lockdown order a move in the right direction – Legal practitioners

President Muhammadu Buhari’s two-week shutdown order in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State, action in the right direction.

President Buhari, in a presidential broadcast on the COVID-19 pandemic, on Sunday, said: “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 11pm on Monday, March 30, 2020. This restriction will also apply to Ogun State due to its close proximity to Lagos and the high traffic between the two states”.

Mr Isaiah Ode, a legal practitioner, said that the president took the right decision to issue a lockdown to stop the spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) . This is a welcomed development as part of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus. Even though the closure will bring a big set back to the economy individually and collectively, it is a necessary step to save lives.

Buhari has shown great commitment and concern to safeguard the health of the citizens. Ode advised other states who are yet to shut down their states should follow suit.

Governors do not need to wait for the president’s directives to take action, few states have already locked down while others especially those who are yet to record the virus are yet to. Why must you wait for things to get out of hands before taking measures, prevention is better than cure.

Although this action will cause inconveniences to many citizens as many have been derived of their daily bread but this is the sacrifice we must make to fight this disease haunting the world. We shall overcome the pandemic and come out stronger as a nation. He urged the president to put a clear palliative measures in place as many Nigerians are purely daily hustlers.

Another lawyer, Mr Samuel Ajayi, said: the lockdown is the best option for the country. Our president has spoken well, some of the measures he pronounced are great steps to stem the spread of this deadly disease.

Ajayi urged residents to comply with precautionary guidelines to curtail virus spread. I pray to God that all the measures being put in place by the government yield the desired result of containing the spread of the pandemic.” he said.

Supreme magazine gathered that as at March 29 at 09:30pm, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed 14 new cases in Nigeria bringing the total number to 111.