The Director-General of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will have to make some difficult decisions on extension of lockdown in Nigeria.
On Monday, April 13, Buhari announced an extension to the initial two-week lockdown by another 14 days.
Nigerians are eagerly waiting to know if the lockdown order by Buhari will exceed April 27 despite an increase in cases of Coronavirus cases across the country.
There are calls from different quarters for Buhari not to extend the lockdown as this may bring revolt and tension in some states.
However, Ihekweazu, while on a courtesy call on Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, in his office at Government House Katsina, said the extension of lockdown will be determined after reports from the presidential task force and meeting with state governors on Wednesday.
He said: ”President Buhari will on Wednesday have a teleconference with the governors and there will be some difficult decisions to be made on how to restart the economy, extend lockdown especially on what to start and what not to start.”
Governor Masari on his part demanded for a testing center in the state to ensure speedy confirmation of samples of suspected cases in the state.
Masari lamented that the state government had to travel for about 12 hours to submit samples of suspected patients for tests in the laboratory at Abuja.
”Availability of a testing centre in Katsina will help in reducing the stress we are going through.
“Samples from Katsina had to reach Abuja in 24 hours otherwise it would not be tested.”