The Nigerian presidency has denied that the country’s leader, Muhammadu Buhari, is breaking any safety rules by not wearing face mask.
The denial was made on Saturday, May 16 by Lauretta Onochie, President Buhari’s aide on social media in a singular tweet.
According to her, President Buhari has no need to wear face masks because he operates from his own safe environment within the presidential villa, Aso Rock.
Visitors, she said, are the ones expected to wear face masks to protect whoever they are visiting from catching whatever infections they may have.
There has been a growing debate on social media over almost daily pictures of the Nigerian leader without face masks participating in government activities, often in the company with other public officials who are masked.
As the federal government continues to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, it put in place some very important guidelines for Nigerians to strictly follow.
One of the guidelines contained in a document signed by the secretary-general of the federation, Boss Mustapha, said Nigerians should always wear face masks in public places.
The directives by FG followed President Buhari’s easing of the lockdown earlier imposed especially in states like Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.