President Muhammadu Buhari
The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has
slammed President Muhammadu Buhari and his government over the unequal
distribution of most of its palliatives.
It accused Buhari of sending most of the palliatives to the North.
The body also warned the federal and the state governments over
incessant and arbitrary extension of lockdown in some states and the
entire federation.
A release by its Coordinator, Media and Publications, Adegboyega
Otunuga, on Thursday, noted that the social and survival implications
were already too weighty and taking their toll on ordinary Nigerians.
CACOL lamented that “Whereas, other states of the federation,
especially in the northern part, received significant financial
assistance and feeding materials like rice, beans, flour, money, etc.,
people in Lagos and many other states of the federation in the south
remarkably, were left in the lurch by governments in most instances.”
It cautioned against approaches and policies of governments,
especially since the first announcement of lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and
FCT, Abuja by President Muhammadu Buhari about one month ago.
“Sadly, the figure of the afflicted and deaths recorded was on
upward mobility as well. This made all stakeholders, including medical
experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue serious
warnings about a looming catastrophe on the horizon in Nigeria and other
global theatres of human existence.
“However, the crux of the matter is that from the statistics
and on-the-spot reports available, while all efforts and attention were
focussed on Lagos, Ogun states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT),
Abuja, the rest of the nation largely responded with indifference and
untoward superstition as far as warning over COVID-19 was concerned with
primary measures like: washing of hands, wearing of face-masks, social
distancing, etc., mostly observed in the breach.
“The resultant effect is that today, the hen seems to be home
for roosting with many states recording high velocity of both mortal and
medical casualties as being seen in Kano, Bauchi, Oyo, Edo and other
states. Though the COVID-19 situation could be likened to a war
situation to humans, it is dubious to give it a metaphor of death
sentence by insisting that those who request for a minimum means of
survival to defy the ‘Hunger virus/pang’ are inconsiderate or
insensitive.
“This is because many have devised effective herbal mode of
deflecting contracting the virus while a lot others would even prefer
confronting the scourge rather than being reduced to sub-humans who must
die through starvation that seems to be the only available option being
peddled.
“Since some of the index states are already contemplating
compulsory wearing of face masks, etc., once the last two weeks imposed
expire anytime next week, and considering the economic losses these
strategic states have recorded and still recording, we caution against
any blanket extension without practical and verifiable provisions of
foods and other survival modes,” it said.