Buhari says lockdown won’t go longer than necessary

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that the lockdown put in place to reduce the spread of coronavirus in the country would not go longer than necessary.

The president said this in a statement issued ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr celebration by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu on Saturday, May 23, 2020.

In his Sallah message, the president told the Muslim faithful to keep their spirits up in spite of the challenges.

He said, “The lockdown measures would not go on longer than necessary because they would be reviewed from time to time to ease the increasing hardships on the people.

“I am well aware of the inconveniences these tough measures have brought on the lives of Nigerians, including limiting religious activities and gatherings in large numbers.

“No government would intentionally impose these tough and demanding measures on its citizens if it had a choice.”

Buhari also appealed to Nigerians “whose businesses and means of livelihoods were badly affected by the prolonged lockdown measures for their understanding and cooperation.”

He said, “For the first time in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the people’s spiritual, social and economic lives.

“This year’s fasting period was particularly challenging for Muslims because they had to forgo many important aspects of their daily worship, including the routine congregations for prayer and the recitation and interpretation of the Holy Qur’an as well as travelling for the lesser pilgrimage to Makkah.

“It is not easy to give up many of these important duties and activities, but it became imperative to do so in order to control or limit the spread of this deadly disease.”