The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives has scored President Muhammadu Buhari low over his silence on the Coronavirus outbreak in Nigeria.
The caucus in a statement sent to Frontline News Online on Saturday, described the country’s response to Coronavirus as poor, even as they decried, ‘the lackluster attitude of President Muhammadu Buhari to the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus in the country’.
The statement signed by one of the leaders of the PDP caucus, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, further described measures taken by the Federal Government to minimise the impact of the virus on the country’s economy as insufficient.
The statement read in part: “Since the country reported its index case, the Buharı-led Federal Government has failed in its response to the virus, which has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“Neither has President Buharı thought it expedient to address the citizens of Nigeria, to assure them of government’s commitment to protect them in such a frightening situation Nor has he taken any firm and positive palliative step to cushion the effect of the pandemic on our vulnerable citizens.
“Calls by Nigerians and the Nigerian Senate for the leader of the nation to offer words of assurance and to lead the battle against Coronavirus from the front has been met with a rebufe and haughty words for the Senate by Presidency”.
Chinda said PDP lawmakers insist on Buhari addressing the citizenry, this as they called for a reduction of VAT rate and the establishment of testing centres for COVID-19.
“İt is saddening to note that while governments of other countries have braced up to the challenges of the outbreak of the deadly virus, and provided their citizens palliative measures to cushion the effects of the shutdowns, Nigeria is yet to come up with any tangible plan for its citizens.
“The United States government has released $1Trillion Emergency stimulus to pay each citizen $1,000; the United Kingdom released £330 Billion Business Loan Package: Germany released $600 billion stimulus; Canada released C$20 Billion Economic Relief Package and stopped payment of rents and Italy released 26 billion and will pay rent, while the federal government of Nigeria only reduced the pump price of fuel by N20 only, less than 50 Cents.
“This intervention is cosmetic and cannot offer succour for the pending hardship the generality of Nigerians, especially the poor (about 85% of our population) are likely to suffer following the scary combination of the drastic fall in oil prices and the Coronavirus pandemic and it’s devastating consequences as recorded in advanced economies.
“Also, taking into account the ravaging effects of the virus on the health of the people, responsive leaders in addition to shutting their borders to other countries, have consistently addressed and reassured their citizens, while the Nigerian President remains tight-lipped and MISSING IN ACTION, even as it took a public outcry for the government to impose travel restrictions on 13 countries with over one thousand cases despite the gradual but steady increase in the number of infected persons in the country”, the statement further read.
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