By Chris Udochukwu
Abuja (Precise Post) – President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the members of the National Assembly, especially those who returned from trip abroad and refused to be subjected to test at the airport to submit themselves to the nearest test centre of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to be tested for coronavirus with immediate effect.
Precise Post recalls that 15 lawmakers from both chambers of the National Assembly returned from countries reported as highly risk for covid-19 without being isolated or tested and were seen shaking hands with members.
This was conveyed to the leadership of the national assembly in a letter written by Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the President.
According to him, the directive became necessary as some of the returnees had refused being tested at the airports.
Kyari noted in the letter that “airport screenings are our primary line of defense and refusal by any citizen to subject to these tests is a threat to our nation.”
A copy of the letter addressed to Olufemi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of House of Representatives, sighted by The ICIR, urged the speaker to direct such members of the House to report themselves for test.
“Accordingly, you are kindly requested to direct all members of the House of Representatives who returned to Nigeria from foreign trips to report themselves to the nearest NCDC test centre with immediate effect,” Kyari wrote.
Recall that National Assembly was on Thursday deserted by workers over the returned of 15 lawmakers to the red and the green chambers of the national assembly after it was obvious that the lawmakers were returning from countries regarded as highly risk of the covid-19 pandemic.
The senate spokesperson, Sen. Godiya Akwashiki had in a press briefing revealed that part of the discussion at the closed door session was the advice by the President of the Senate, Sen Ahmad Lawan, to those senators who traveled outside the country to go for a covid-19 test to ascertain their status.
Precise Post recalls that Senate also announced a shutdown of all committee public hearings, the closure of the public gallery in the Senate Chamber, to disallow members of the public who visit the chamber to observe plenary during excursions to prevent the spread of the dreaded coronavirus outbreak.
It also resolved and suspended all public hearings till further notice as a result of the Coronavirus.
“The Senate gallery will remain closed to the public till further notice including excursions from schools and other organizations from Tuesday, 24th March, 2020,” Lawan said.
We gathered that some of the lawmakers who have been around deliberately stayed away from the Chambers on Wednesday and Thursday upon the arrival of their colleagues who just returned into the country, while some of those who returned from their trips abroad have gone into self-isolation.
Moreover, one of the lawmakers from the green chambers who also traveled with their counterparts at the senate was scooped at the chambers on Wednesday having a handshake with almost all the lawmakers at the chamber that faithful day including the principal officers.
The fifteen lawmakers traveled to UK, US, Canada and Ghana for various reasons. Meanwhile, some of these countries are highly risk for covid-19.
