The All Progressives Congress (APC) said Monday it would shut down its national secretariat for two weeks over the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.
The country’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 increased to 36 on Monday after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced the discovery of six fresh cases in Abuja, Lagos and Edo States.
In his address to the staff of the APC secretariat, the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, said their salaries would be paid promptly despite the closure.
He said the decision is in conformity with the Federal Government’s advocacy for social distancing as a Coronavirus control measure.
Oshiomhole charges the staff to remain in their homes and look after their immediate families during the period.
He said: “This is just a preventive measure the party has taken by closing down the Secretariat for about two weeks so we can manage the situation at hand but if it persists, then we will have to extend the holidays because we need to remain alive to be able to serve the country as a whole and members of the party.
“We, as APC leaders must be seen to obey the federal government’s rules. It is no longer a secret that we are facing a pandemic all over the world and Nigeria has its own share of the Coronavirus although, it is not as bad as other countries but clearly the numbers are increasing. As it is said, prevention is better than cure.
“We had a conversation among ourselves, we the NWC, and decided to come up with this decision to shut down because I am not sure how many of you have private cars, some of you use public transport to come to work which at this moment could be dangerous and I don’t think we will want to take any risk so we have decided to close the office.”
