- Banks must support gov’t to succeed – Adebayo
The Federal Government has expressed dissatisfaction over the deliberate violation of new guidelines, including social distancing, wearing of face masks at public places among others set out as part of measures, to check the spread of coronavirus pandemic in the country.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Chief Adeniyi Adebayo, made this known at the weekly briefing of the Emergency Operation Centre of the Committee on Sustainable Production and Delivery of Essential Commodities During COVID-19”.
He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari in a nationwide broadcast while directing the easing of a five -week lockdown in Lagos, Ogun States and the Federal Capital Territory, gave clear guidelines on the first phase of the new measures spanning May 4 -17, 2020 by “imploring all Nigerians to continue to adhere strictly to the advisories published by the Presidential Task Force and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) which include regular hand washing, strict mandatory use of face masks or coverings in public, maintaining physical distancing and personal hygiene, avoidance of non-essential movement and travels and avoidance of large gatherings, restrictions on social and religious gatherings”.
The Minister also noted that until banks and other commercial institutions opened up all their branches, the horrible scenes observed around their premises would pose severe dangers of infection of COVID-19, as well as compromising measures put in place to tackle the spread of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the minister has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of security agencies in carrying out their duties by ensuring that the President’s directives of “free-flow and unhindered movement of foods, pharmaceuticals, medical equipments and other essential commodities across the country” is complied with.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing his Permanent Secretary, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, who is the supervisor of the Emergency Operation Centre as the Leader of the Presidential Delegation to Tackle COVID-19 in Kano State.
