Covid-19 Lockdown: North Central NYCN, other groups Charge North Central Governors On Palliative measures
By Emmanuel Dauda
Some Northern groups have charged the North Central Governors on palliative measures amid the covid-19 lockdown.
The North-Central National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Vice President, Comrade Felix Onuh alongside Comrade Jacob OchulayiConvener, Middle Belt Sociopolitical Youth Think Tank and Comrade Richard Haruna Yakubu Co-Convener gave the charge in a statement on Thursday.
They urged the governors in the North Central Zone to sit up towards providing proactive measures following the ongoing lockdown, sit at home order.
“The world is witnessing a global emergency health crisis, compelling people to stay at home in a lockdown, affecting most of the world’s physical and commercial activities, including religious worship centers.
The group warned that this pandemic has been on a killing spree across the world, and as yet has no cure or vaccine.
In their words: “It is no longer in doubt that the COVID -19 pandemic is real and infecting people in real-time, and that it requires drastic and proactive measures to address it.
” It should be addressed by leaders at all levels, and in this situation the role of world leaders, political leaders, religious, business and community leaders cannot be overemphasized and is highly called for now”.
“COVID -19 as a global pandemic may have taken our government by surprise due to its fast ravaging nature, but also it has exposed a lot of deficiencies and decay in our health system.
“This is a public health crisis that has affected the economic lives and social wellbeing of Nigerians most especially the youths whose entire economic life and earnings depend largely on daily income.
“It is therefore worthy of note that about 70 percent of these youths are unemployed and of every 10 Nigerian students, six are on self-sponsorship”.
They said that the situation has been made more difficult due to the impact of the stay at home order and the ensuing lockdown being enforced by government as containment measures.
” As of today, no meaningful social welfare palliatives have been put in place by the government of the day, both at the federal, state or local government level.
“The risk of keeping these vulnerable youths that depends largely on day-to-day activities for survival on lockdown for two weeks or more, without any direct palliatives to support their livelihood is a serious compromise of national stability.
“The Nigerian constitution states clearly the primary and most paramount obligations of the government, which is to protect lives and properties as well as to ensure the welfare and wellbeing of its people”.
They therefore noted that COVID-19 is a global pandemic and a public health emergency crisis and should be treated as such.
“All governors of the North Central states should set up a body to contain and prevent the spread of COVID-19 by setting up world class isolation and treatment centers with ventilators as well as make arrangements for testing kits and other medical infrastructure needs.
“They should invest resources on welfare palliatives for the indigenes of their respective states by providing food items, household grocery and conditional cash transfer to youths and women.
“Also all North Central state governors should include the leadership of the NYCN North Central zone and Middle Belt Sociopolitical Youth Think Tank in the various COVID – 19 relief committees in their respective states to give room for youth inclusiveness and transparency”.
“COVID–19 relief efforts and donations must also be devoid of politics or mismanagement or diversion.
“We call on all the Governors of North Central states Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, Kwara state, and the FCT to take rapid action and exercise pragmatic and visionary leadership to address the stated concerns.
” These demands will forestall further restiveness on the part of our youths and anything short of this is a total breach of the social contract that binds the Government and the people together”.
“This monster called COVID–19 will surely be conquered and we will win. God Bless Nigeria.”
