Mixed-reactions have continued to trail President Muhammadu Buhari’s lock-down order in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun States as part of measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus in Nigeria.
During the Address, Buhari said: “based on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC, I am directing the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11 pm on Monday, 30th March 2020.
However, his statewide address has caused a wave of reactions as the President got knocks and praises over some of the pronouncement he made in the broadcast.
surprisingly, the Coalition of United Political Parties Opposition (CUPP) supported the President’s decision saying it will go a long way in salvaging the health crisis which the virus has thrown the nation into.
Ikenga Imo Ugo-Chinyere, CUPP Spokesman
CUPP, in a statement by its spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere also hailed the decision of the Federal Government to suspend loan repayments by small businesses. The opposition Coalition also described the decision to convert public infrastructures like stadia to isolation centers as a welcome development”
The opposition maintained that though the President’s address to the nation came in later than expected, it believed very strongly that it is better late than never.
CUPP also hailed State Governors for being proactive in complementing opposition’s advisory for inter/intra state lock-down.
It urged Nigerians residing in the affected areas to use the 14 days of this lock-down to report suspected cases of coronavirus infections to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control promptly.
“We also advise them to continue to observe the hygiene measures already highlighted which include social distancing, regular washing of hands with soap and running water, regular use of alcohol-based sanitizers among others.
Nigerians should remain united and resolute at this period. This is the only way to tackle and win the war against the virus together.” the statement read.
The Opposition Coalition also called on those who may have come in contact with an infected person to submit themselves for test saying it believes “it is time to close all ranks and fight the ‘enemy trying to consume Nigeria.”
Buhari’s Address Empty, Failed to Address Real Concerns-PDP
While CUPP agreed with President Muhammadu Buhari on the lock-down and other decisions made to combat the spread of Coronavirus in the country, the leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) decried the President’s nationwide address saying the address was empty and failed to address the salient demands of the impact of the scourge of the nation.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan
The PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan noted that outside the social distancing and isolation, which Nigerians had already imposed on themselves, “Mr. President had no new solutions to offer our nation.
“The PDP regrets that the address did not touch on the real necessities of majority of Nigerians who reside in the states where President Buhari had ordered a lockdown.
“It is unfortunate that Mr. President failed to respond to demands on hope for medications, direct social palliatives, cut in taxes as well as reduction in the pump price of fuel even with the cut in the price of petroleum and crude oil in the international market.
“Our party notes as saddening that even in areas where Mr. President announced an ambitious intervention, such remained largely cosmetic as there are no clear palliative content but moratoriums on loans with no clear data for implementation.
“Mr. President is reminded that already, the COVID-19 had affected the performance of those loans. Granting them moratoriums is therefore of no consequence to the capital and interest on them.
“It is rather unfortunate that Nigerians had to wait this long for an address that came out empty and failed to respond to anxieties.
“Moreover, Nigerians expected Mr. President to articulate an across-the-board and far-reaching strategy that would have captured the need of each state of the federation as they were today, instead of a parochial approach to a national anxiety.
“President Buhari should therefore go back, listen to the nation, retool his policy framework and implementation strategy to properly address the fears as well as the needs of Nigerians, including health safety measures and the real remedies that meet the anxieties of our nation at this critical time.” the statement read.
PDP GOOFS AGAIN-BMO
Responding to the Peoples Democratic Party, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has described the position of the PDP on the lockdown of Abuja, Lagos and Ogun as a reflection of the reckless manner the opposition party handled state affairs between 1999 and 2015.
In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, BMO noted that “only an unfeeling set of individuals would claim that Nigerians have already ‘imposed social distancing and isolation on themselves’, at a time the number of infected persons is on the rise.
“It really shouldn’t be a surprise that PDP again chose to put its mischievous character up for display by saying the speech did not address salient demands of the pandemic.
“But our question for this rabble-rousing is; what could be more important than locking down the epicentre of a pandemic to stop it from getting to the level of a national emergency?
“Even a fellow rabid opposition group led by a notorious PDP ally, for once, saw the wisdom in Buhari taking sure and steady steps to stop the virus from spreading further.
“We insist that the decision to restrict interstate and intercity movements in Lagos and Ogun states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is the best way, as the President explained, ‘to identify, trace and isolate all individuals that have come into contact with confirmed cases’ and consequently flatten the curve of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
“Nigerians would have seen how failure to lockdown New York, the epicentre of the US case worsened that country’s situation to the extent that a fierce debate is now on, belatedly, on whether to quarantine the entire State.
“But President Buhari’s move is similar to what is in place in India and Italy even if ours is not a nationwide or regional lockdown”, it added.
The group also commended the President for leaving the seaports open, as well as exempting petroleum distributors, retailers, private security outfits and people on essential services.
“In addition to these are the palliatives for vulnerable people, especially those who have had a course to benefit from the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).
“We commend the President for the three-month repayment moratorium he approved for all beneficiaries of TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni loans.
“The immediate payment of Conditional Cash Transfers for the next two months to the poorest of the poor as well as the distribution of food rations to displaced persons are also clearly in line with the President’s welfarist stance.
“We equally hail the decision to suspend loan repayments by small businesses.”
The group urged Nigerians to ignore PDP antics and cooperate with the Buhari administration in its efforts to stop the spread of the virus.
