President Muhammadu Buhari has been warned against extending the Coronavirus lockdown.
Buhari had in a nationwide broadcast, declared a 14-day lockdown of Abuja Lagos and Ogun States which will expire next weekend.
But as the expiration draws near, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has warned of the consequences of extending the lockdown beyond 14 days without proper palliative measures.
CNPP said that if there must be an extension, the Federal and State Governments must make provisions for food and other necessities.
In a statement issued to DAILY POST on Tuesday and signed by its Secretary-General, Chief Willy Ezugwu.
The CNPP, in the statement also drew the attention of the federal government to the need to support local production of medical equipment and drugs to manage the Coronavirus pandemic rather than depend on the Chinese government for equipment and personal protective gears.
“When the federal government announced a 14-day lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos and Ogun States as part of measures aimed at containing the spread of Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, we were fully in support of the efforts.
“We supported the initiative by President Muhammadu Buhari after his broadcast to the nation because the government had a palliative plan for citizens during the period.
“However, the events of the last few days have clearly shown that the government at both the federal and state levels were totally as unprepared to mitigate the pains of the lockdown as Nigerians themselves.
“Having closely monitored the distribution of palliative packages, including federal government’s conditional cash transfer, we are disappointed that citizens have continued to endure pains and hardships, including severe hunger, in hope that the pandemic will be contained within the 14 days of lockdown.
“But we are shocked by insinuations from the federal and state governments of a possible extension of the lockdown and we warn that any extension of the COVID-19 lockdown may meet a brick wall if the shoddy soothing of the pains of citizens occasioned by hunger was not addressed.
“We are afraid that from the fillers we are getting, the masses may resort to civil disobedience in the event of an extension of the lockdown, which may make enforcement of the order very difficult. As they say, a hungry man is an angry man.
“More and more Nigerians have exhausted their little provisions and foodstuff and keeping them at home longer than 14 days in the manner many citizens have endured in the last one week will be extremely difficult, particularly with most members of the population depending on daily incomes to survive.
“We also urge the federal government to look inward for procurement of basic equipment and protective gear for medical personnel as we continue to confront the COVID-19 infection.
“We have, in the last one week, received the news of Nigerians producing the much-needed face masks in Aba, Abia State and we strongly urge the federal and state governments to support such local manufacturing of disposables as other countries of the world also need the same preventive kits.
“Nigeria is well endowed with capable medical personnel and the invitation of the Chinese to help us combat the coronavirus pandemic is more like passing a vote of no confidence on the Nigerian medical professionals, no matter how the government explains it.
“One lesson we must learn from the coronavirus disease experience is that it is high time we invested in our national and state healthcare system.
“We have seen that medical tourism has failed as nations have shut down their borders and airspace to control the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. We must now support local production of healthcare equipment as we urge the government to rejig Nigeria’s medical architecture”, the CNPP submitted.
