COVID-19: Osinbajo, Soyinka clash on President Buhari's lockdown order
- The lockdown order of President Muhammadu Buhari is really brewing a lot of heated reactions from Nigerians
- While some Nigerians have expressed views that the move is not the best way forward, others have challenged the legality of the order by the president
- However, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that based on the Quarantine Act of 1926, the president has all the powers to give the directive
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has reacted to statements by some prominent Nigerians which has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari's lockdown order over COVID-19.
One of those who have kicked against the two-week stay-at-home order given by the president is Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, Guardian reports.
Soyinka in a recent statement had questioned the legality of President Buhari's directive, arguing that Nigeria is a "not in a war emergency".
Source: UGC
The famous Nigerian literary writer reacted to the move thus: "This is a time for unity of purpose, not nitpicking dissensions. So, before this becomes a habit, a question: does President Buhari have the powers to close down state borders?"
However, Osinbajo, responding to this position, pointed out that the president actually has extensive powers under the Quarantine Act of 1926 to order a lockdown when the need calls for it.
Speaking on the said act, the vice president said: “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."
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He urged everyone to throw their weight behind the leadership of the country and get involved in the fight against the spread of the virus in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that President Buhari had stopped all movements in the FCT, Lagos, and Ogun states in a bid to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
The president gave the directive in a presidential broadcast on Sunday evening, March 29, adding that the directive will be for an initial period of 14 days.
Legit.ng noted that the president said that the lockdown will take effect from 11 pm on Monday, March 30.
In other news, a Nigerian lady with the name Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi has shared her isolation experience after she recovered from coronavirus.
She said that she started noticing symptoms of the virus after she returned from the UK post-commonwealth event. Oluwaseun had to quickly self-isolate, and some days after then tested positive to the deadly COVID-19. The development threw off all her arrival plans.
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4 ways Nigerians are dealing with the COVID 19 lockdown | Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng
