The President, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari [retd], and members of the Presidential Task Force [PTF] on COVID-19 on Sunday held a meeting, preparatory to Monday’s (today) announcement of the next phase of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Chairman of the committee and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, led members to the meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Recall that on April 27, Buhari had in a nationwide broadcast, announced the phased easing of the lockdown of the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states effective from May 4.

After the completion of two weeks, the President is expected to speak on the next phase today.

Speaking to reporters after Sunday’s meeting, Mustapha said the committee came to submit proposals to Buhari on the next phase of the lockdown.

He explained that the proposals would help him to take a decision on the next step forward.

Mustapha said,

“We have supplied him with all the materials that are required to enable him to look at the issues…

“We are in for a long haul. This is a marathon and not a short-distance race, and we have to keep everything in perspective…

“Tomorrow, we should expect new processes to be put in place. That’s why we had to give him all the materials that will help us to prepare for the future.”

Mustapha declined to give specifics of what the committee proposed to Buhari, as he insisted that they were meant for Buhari to take a decision.

Asked what was Buhari’s response, the SGF replied that the President “expressed satisfaction” over the measures so far put in place and the efforts of agencies such as the NCDC.

However, Mustapha admitted that a major concern was the failure of many Nigerians to comply with COVID – 19 safety regulations, adding that some even believed that they had immunity against the infection.

He disclosed that while a recent survey indicated that “99 per cent of Nigerians were aware of COVID-19, there were those in many “percentages”, who did not believe that they could be infected.

Mustapha said the next target was how to contain community spread by making sure that communities took control of the prevention processes.

The SGF stated,

“The proposals we brought to Mr President today, looking at them holistically, will prepare us for the future.

“We want the communities to take ownership of the response to COVID-19. That is what we really want to do now because we have got to the stage of community transmission.”

Buhari had on May 4, relaxed the lockdown and replaced it with a ban on interstate movements and the imposition of an 8pm to 6am curfew across the country.

Civil servants at grade level 14 and above have also resumed work to go to office on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the week.