By Ebriku John Friday
…condemns State Govts’ lockdowns, says people should be released
The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Friday, raised questions and called for probe over alleged disbursement of N5.2 billion to 2.6 million poor Nigerians in four days under the lockdown and stay-at-home orders by President Muhammadu Buhari in containing the novel Cornavirus, COVID-19, pandemic.
This was contained in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, PRP, Abdul Gombe, while appraising the way and manner the Federal and State Governments have managed the Coronavirus pandemic particularly on the lockdown orders given by federal and state governments as it affects availability and accessibility of palliative measures put in place to cushion impacts on socio-economic lives of the citizenry.
According to the party, governments in developed nations including the United States of America, the European Union, Canada, China and Russia, and developing nations such as Ghana, Rwanda and Nigeria have varying degrees of decision taken on lockdown as one of the measures to counter spread of the virus, while some palliative measures are put in place to protect citizens against hunger and ameliorating expected hardships the lockdowns will cause both citizens and their businesses.
It further mentioned that the British Government as part of its palliatives announced 80 per cent pay relief for three months to all their workers locked as well as some bailout loans to the businesses. The United States Government approved a $2 trillion package in phase one of its palliatives which has seen direct payments to citizens and bail out for both small, medium and large enterprises.
Then in Africa the Ghanaian Government announce reliefs for its locked out citizens and special palliatives for its health workers in front line duties confronting the scourge. In Rwanda, sizeable food items in social media being distributed to those locked out.
The statement reads in part, “But in Nigeria, we have seen lockdowns ordered by quite a number of State Governments and the Federal Government in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States with: Most of the States where the lockdowns have been ordered have asked their citizens to remain indoors for two weeks in the first instance with promises of some reliefs.
“The Federal Government promising or in fact announcing that 2.6 million of its poor have been doled out N20, 000.00 each within four days; and The Federal Government starting a process of putting in place a N500 billion fund to assist businesses overcome challenges brought about by COVID-19.
“To supplement above measures we have seen some rich Nigerians donating up to billions of Naira to the COVID-19 Support Fund to compliment efforts of the Federal and State Governments in addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), as a Political Party in Nigeria and indeed the Voice of the Voiceless of the Nigerian Talaka, welcome and congratulate the Federal and State Governments that have taken measures to help the Nigerian Talaka and also thanks all those philanthropists that have assisted but wish to use this medium to challenge the Governments of the wrongs so far committed in their efforts shown above as highlighted below: Sharing of N20,000.00 to 2.6 million Nigerians.
“Sharing of N20, 000. 00 to 2.6 million Nigerians by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Services and Disaster Management within four days has been found by the PRP as very hard to believe and we consider the action fraudulent which need to be urgently addressed by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Government elected on the mantra on probity and accountability. The PRP hereby demand that President Muhammadu Buhari ask the Minister of Humanitarian Services and Disaster Management to immediately tell Nigerians:
a) The names, location of the 2.6 million Nigerians given N20,000.00 each;
b) The methodology used in the disbursement of the said N5,200,000,000.00 to 2.6 million Nigerians; and,
c) The source of this N5.2 billion and if it came from the Public Till, when it was appropriated to the said Ministry by the National Assembly in accordance with our Laws.
“Should the Ministry fail to give Nigerians above answers, we will ask and continue to ask President Muhammadu Buhari to order prove of this payment as well as the questionable disbursement of the loans to 18, 200 Nigerians granted by National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) notwithstanding the feeble attempt made recently by His Special Assistant on Social Investment in response to the justifiable questions raised by the National Assembly on these loans to answer some grey areas on the source of funds used and disbursement of the loans.
“Where Mr President fail through his Minister and other appointees to satisfactory answer the questions as to who were paid money or given loans in Nigeria, the National Assembly as representatives of the Peoples of Nigeria should (as expected of them by Nigerians) should rise to the challenge by openly probing:
- NSIP loans to 18,200 Nigerians; and,
- Payment of N20,000.00 to 2.6million Nigerians in 4 days as palliative to the poor for COVID-19.”
The party also challenged Buhari to prove himself as transparent and accountable to the people, “We see satisfactory answers to the above as the litmus tests of President Muhammadu Buhari Presidency against which the Nigeria Talaka that almost worshiped him will judge him and his administration.
On lockdown of Nigerians by State government, the party alleged that there was not sustainable strategy provided by the governors to ensure citizens in their States continue to have access to palliatives despite being at home.
“Although Lockdowns are so far one of the surest ways of containing the scourge of COVID-19, the measure as far as PRP is concerned should be looked at with some common sense and logic which are lacking in current policies which show brutal force exhibition rather than logic and common sense.
“In almost all the States that have ordered lock outs, we have not seen any meaningful sustenance been put in place to ensure that those locked out are fed. Our investigation amongst our members in some metropolis have shown that quite a number of people now feed only once a day and that too, not from what the Governments have provided but from what neighbours and relations have helped with.
“We want the State Governments that ordered for Lockdowns to realise that many of their citizens (some in the majority in a number of such States), have to go out daily to earn a living before they can feed themselves and their families.
Consequently, we in the PRP urge and demand that: The State Governments that have ordered Lockdowns in their States must provide for sustenance for those locked out beyond what we have so far seen of providing a 50 kg bag of rice, Carton of Indomie, a gallon oil and small measure of beans for 80 families and we consider this inhuman and certainly unacceptable;
“Where sustenance cannot be provided to people (and we believe reasonable sustenance cannot be provided, we demand that they be allowed to come out and earn their livings within reasonable controls.
“Yes, wholesale lockdowns of people in our environment and social circumstances is not only inappropriate and ultimately unsustainable but also a lazy and uncreative response to the pandemic. It must be relaxed in an orderly and humane manner.
“Indeed we must state that a more effective response should have involved: Wide establishment of Testing Centers for the virus where communities can have easy access for the determination of their status thereby nipping the spread in the bud as we saw in Germany instead of NCDC wasting billions in sending text messages; Mass production and distribution of face masks and teaching the populace how to produce and sanitize their face masks; Social Distancing in public areas and markets; Limiting gatherings to no more than 10 persons; and Prevention of religious gathering.
“Adoption of above measures even in these hours in the day is more realistic and strategic and would be more effective and relevant in our circumstances and strongly recommended in preference to Lockdowns”, it added.
