President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the recent confirmation of a case of Covid-19 infection outbreak in the country, warning against unnecessary panic over the incident.
The President made his feelings known in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Sunday.
Buhari noted that the carrier of the deadly virus arrived Nigeria in spite of the ardent efforts of the government regarding preparedness and response measures put in place in the nation’s borders and beyond.
He, however, commended the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies whose diligence and efficiency enabled the case to be detected, diagnosed and isolated quickly.
The President also lauded the swift measures being taken to identify and follow up on those with whom the index patient had contact.
He equally commended the responses of the Federal Ministry of Health and Governments of Lagos and Ogun States as well as other relevant agencies to the reported incident.
Buhari called for vigilance on the part of all citizens and responsible government agencies.
He urged Nigerians not to panic about the news of this first case of Covid-19 in the country, saying “undue alarm would do us more harm than good.
“Instead, Nigerians should strictly observe the advisories disseminated by the Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation on the best way to prevent infection.
“This information is being broadcast in all available media by the Federal Ministry of Information.”
