The presidency has denied media reports that President Muhammadu Buhari would be making a national broadcast on Monday, May 18, 2020, to give an update and possibly new policy direction on the phased gradual easing of the coronavirus lockdown.
The clarification was given by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a tweet post through his official twitter handle on Monday afternoon.
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He said that the president was not going to give any broadcast as any new information will be gotten from the usual media briefings of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
In the tweet post, Adesina said, ‘’No presidential broadcast on COVID-19 updates today. None was planned. Rather, the Presidential Task Force will during media briefings brings the nation up to speed on the next steps’’.
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No presidential broadcast on COVID-19 updates today. None was planned. Rather, the Presidential Task Force will during its usual media briefings bring the nation up to speed on the next steps.
— Femi Adesina (@FemAdesina) May 18, 2020
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It would be recalled that there were media reports that the PTF on COVID-19 through its Chairman, Boss Mustapha and National Coordinator, Dr Aliyu Sani, had said that the president was going to talk to Nigerians on the next line of policy direction after the first phase of the gradual easing of COVID-19 lockdown.
The clarification from the presidential media aide became necessary after Sani Aliyu, while answering a question during a media programme said that the president was going to take a decision on Monday, following the end of the phase one of the gradual easing of COVID-19 lockdown.
Also while answering questions after the visit of the PTF to the presidential villa to give the president situation report, its Chairman, Boss Mustapha, admitted that Nigerians have been flouting the guideline for the easing of the lockdown. He said it was only President Buhari that will decide whether we will move to phase two of the COVID-19 lockdown or not.