COVID 19: Provide Food, Power If You Want Nigerians To obey Stay-at-home Order- Group Tells FG

.. Wants Minister To Release Data On Disbursed Food, Materials Worth N100b

…Decries Lack Of Protective Equipment For Caregivers

Matthew Ogune, Abuja

Lifeline Centre for Medical and Health Rights Advocacy has urged the Federal Government to ensure that there is enough food and power for people to justify its stay-at-home order.

The Centre President, Prof. Uwakwe Abugu who stated this yesterday in Abuja regretted that it was clear that no special arrangements were made for the sustenance of Nigerians, majority of whose food depend on daily income.

Abugu maintained that the result was that restrictions on movement are only being adhered to in breach than in observance, adding that It was almost after one week that the government started making uncoordinated, uninspiring and halfhearted attempts at distributing cash and other relief items.

According to the President, from all indications there appear not to be any clear modus operandi or clear cut scheme for reaching the right people in the distribution exercise.

Recalling that a statement which was credited to the Minister of Information asserted that there were no hungry Nigerians because the government had distributed food and materials worth N100billion, Abugu noted that only the Minister can provide data of the real hungry Nigerians that benefited from the acclaimed largesse.

He continued: “Experience has shown that to flatten and/or narrow down the curve of infection and spread of the pandemic, sitting at home, maintaining personal hygiene and social distancing are critical. How do the government expect hungry Nigerians to obey a stay-at-home order? The logic is that many would prefer to contact the virus looking for food than die of hunger at home.”

“We at Lifeline Centre believe that government should not sacrifice its own due process of the law on the altar of unverified or unverifiable Chinese magic wand.”

“Again, government should be more creative in tackling the more pressing issues of welfare of the frontline caregivers and the citizenry than insisting, against all well meaning objections, to bringing in Chinese doctors whose training, competence, character and good faith cannot be readily taken to the bank.”

The President said it was abundantly clear that the country lacks enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for  its medical personnel for the war against COVID-19, and other infectious diseases.

Adding: “One is persuaded to ask, what efforts are the government making in ensuring that there are enough quality equipment for our frontline caregivers, or are they relying on the used and disused ones from China? The intriguing thing here is that most of these equipment do not require rocket science for their manufacture locally. Given government’s creative engagement with local manufacturers, our case will be different.