Provide palliatives for COVID-19 lockdown, NYCN tells FG

 

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has urged the federal government to distribute health essentials, food and money to citizens to curtail the hardship being suffered as a result policy directives on the coronavirus pandemic.

The NYCN, in a statement issued by its national president, Solomon Adodo and made available to journalists, Thursday, said much as the stay-at-home policy of government is in the effort to curtail the spread of the dreaded virus, there should be urgent palliatives that should assuage the imminent suffering and death accompanying the directives.

The youth body also chided the federal and state governments for failing to carry along critical stakeholders along in decisions relating to the efforts to tackle the pandemic, maintaining that awareness on the preventive measures was lopsided.

“Covid-19 pandemic is right here in Nigeria! The cases are already rising at an alarming geometric progression. Lagos and Kaduna states are on lockdown. The Federal Capital Territory and other states would soon follow if we must avoid the path to Italy. The situation is very dire.

“Unfortunately, there is no ordinary Nigerian who can explain for certainty what the plans of the federal government is, to totally contain and defeat the virus. Many critical stakeholders have not been involved, especially in the area of accurate information dissemination and mass advocacy.

“Only the traditional media platforms which many Nigerians have no access to, are being utilised. The youth, students, market women, transport workers etc are completely left out. This is unacceptable. What happens to the illiterate and rural dwellers?

“Right now, even the National Committee on Covid-19 is not addressing the public. In a situation of life-and-death like this, it is tragic. The position of the National Youth Council of Nigeria is that the federal government is making some efforts. But there is more it can do if it activates the necessary platforms and garner divergent views, most of which may not be purely medical. The task of saving this country is not for a narrow bureaucratic government committee.

“At the moment, our greatest concern is the fate of poor families (those who survive on daily earnings) and the IDPs in the face of a total lockdown. What happens to them? Are they not condemned to another kind of death called “Corona Hunger” or “Covid-Starvation?” NYCN stated. 

The youth council, therefore, appealed to the federal fovernment to come up with a more holistic plan and approach to handling the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that it must be done with dispatch. 

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