Buhari’s Speech: What Hungry Nigerians Wanted

By Chuks Ekpeneru

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Sunday speech on the COVID-19 pandemic has elicited mixed reactions from different sectors of the polity.

The disappointment on the part of this set of people may have come after rumours spread last week that the Presidency approved a N30,000 palliative to every Nigerian who has a verified Bank Verification Number (BVN). That rumour had been swiftly denied by the presidency.

The disappointment was not helped by the report of the sharing of 400 units of 2020 model of Toyota Camry cars by members of the House of Representatives who it seemed had put their comfort ahead of that of the citizenry.

Even more, President Donald Trump had last week signed a financial stimulus package under which each American citizen earning below a threshold will get up to $1,200 (N451,000) each, in addition to $500 (N188,000) per child.

In Canada, Justin Trudeau, the prime minister, announced a plan to help ‘’workers whose income has been hit by the coronavirus. Employees inside and outside the unemployment insurance system and the self-employed can apply to receive C$2,000 each month for four months’’ – according to Bloomberg. The prime minister had also announced a moratorium on rent and other essential bills for working Citizens.

In Africa, Rwanda President, Paul Kagame has ordered free door-to-door food distribution for the most vulnerable since the country is in the middle of a lockdown. He is also planning to provide essential services such as the supply of water and electricity for free so that people do not face challenges in acquiring these. He made the food distribution announcement in a television address.

Some have said that more than 80% of Nigerians depend on daily pay for survival. They include artisans, traders, drivers and even some educated but underemployed people. This group of people are very likely to feel the impact of the lockdown.

These Nigerians are disappointed the President didn’t not talk how the very vulnerable who are not already captured in the ongoing TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni loans will be taken care of.

According to Social commentator and Journalist, Fredrick Nwabufor, “the President’s relief plan for Nigerians who will be impacted by this lockdown should have been more robust. Beyond his take on providing relief materials for the vulnerable members of society – which is quite inscrutable I must say – there is no plan for working Nigerians who will lose the means to provide for their families at this time.

“Also, I would have loved to see the president roll out sustenance packages for Nigerians who will be paying rent, electricity and water bills and other essential bills during this tortuous period.

Nwabufor is supported by the Presiding Pastor of Awaiting The Second Coming Of Jesus Christ Ministry, Adewale Giwa who expressed disappointment over the decision of President Buhari to declare curfew without providing relief packages for the people.

In a statement he personally signed and forwarded to newsmen, the cleric wondered how people could cope with such heartless and senseless idea.

Speaking on the decision of the Federal government to shut down churches across the state, Giwa described the development as a “lack of ideas. ”

Also adding to the call, Shehu Sani, former Kaduna central senator, urged the federal government to consider suspending electricity bill and to decongest prisons over COVID-19 lockdown.

Sani in a statement said the stay at home order by the Federal and State Governments can only be morally right and effective if palliative measures in form of relief materials are provided to cushion the effect of the lockdown.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on its part observed that the president offered no fresh solutions as it said that Nigerians were already becoming familiar with the social distancing prescriptions.

President Buhari in the address declared that the government is fully aware that the lockdown and other measures announced by him will cause much hardship and inconvenience to many citizens.

He however urged the citizens to see this as national and patriotic duty to control and contain the spread of this virus.

“I will therefore ask all of us affected by this order to put aside our personal comfort to safeguard ourselves and fellow human beings. This common enemy can only be controlled if we all come together and obey scientific and medical advice,” the President said.

How long can the residents of the three States bear the lockdown? What are the security implications as warned by the IG?

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