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By Ehichioya Ezomon
Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s broadcast on the novel coronavirus in Nigeria, I had hoped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would set politics aside, and show genuine concerns about the pandemic that’s infected over 210 as at the weekend.
Even in that thought process, my optimism was flagged principally as the “leopard cannot change its spots,” and the opposition always strives for political points at times, as this, in a nation’s life.
The deadly COVID-19 couldn’t have presented a better platform for the PDP to blast Mr Buhari, especially as he’s practically forced, by a wave of criticisms, to address Nigerians on the virus that’s not spared the seat of power at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
So, I wasn’t surprised, really, that the PDP wasted no time in poo-poohing the president’s speech as “empty and failed to address the salient demands of the impact of the scourge on the nation.”
The Buhari speech couldn’t have addressed – and no one speech addresses – all “salient demands” in an issue as the coronavirus, which’s overwhelmed the healthcare systems of even the most advanced nations of the world.
Abreast of the problems posed by the virus nationally, and the effects of the lockdown on residents of Lagos, Ogun and Abuja, Buhari had listed strategies to tackle the exigencies, thus:
* Creation of a Presidential Task Force (PTF) to develop a workable National Response Strategy for the virus.
* Provision of an initial intervention of N15 billion to support the national response to contain and control the spread.
* Recruitment of hundreds of ad-hoc staff in Lagos and Abuja, to man call centres and support tracing and testing efforts.
* All confirmed cases to get the necessary medical care, while agencies work to identify cases and people the patients have been in contact with.
* Cessation of all movements in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun for an initial period of 14 days, effective from 11pm on Monday, March 30, 2020, and all citizens in these areas are to stay in their homes.
* The period of lockdown to be used to identify, trace and isolate all individuals that have come into contact with confirmed cases.
* Suspension of movements of all commercial and private jets; and deployment of all Port Health Authority employees, previously stationed in the Lagos and Abuja Airports, to key roads that serve as entry and exit points to the restricted zones.
* All Federal Government stadia, pilgrims camps and other facilities be converted to isolation centres and makeshift hospitals.
* Government to deploy relief materials to residents of Lagos and Abuja, to ease the pains caused by the restrictive measures.
* The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and State Governments to develop a strategy to sustain the School Feeding programme.
* A three-month repayment moratorium given for all TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni loans, and all Federal Government funded loans issued by the Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture and the Nigeria Export Import Bank.
* Conditional cash transfers for the next two months be paid to the most vulnerable in our society, while internally-displaced persons will receive two months of food rations in the coming weeks.
Buhari pledged that, “as we all pray for the best possible outcome, we shall continue planning for all eventualities,” and “avail all necessary resources to support the response and recovery. We remain committed… to confront COVID-19 in our country.”
Did the PDP miss or ignore these measures, and the palliatives contained in the 65-paragraph broadcast? That would be blind opposition, which sees nothing but failure in a government and its governing party that it scrambles to replace!
For instance, the party queried the president for not articulating “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.”
Is PDP not aware that countries hit by COVID-19 deal with their component entities – regions, states or provinces – on case-by-case basis, unless the pandemic affects the entire area at once, which’s been proven otherwise?
Doesn’t the PDP realise that many Nigerians, in denial of the virus, may now adhere to washing their hands regularly with clean water and soap, coughing into a tissue or elbow and maintaining social distancing because they heard directly from President Buhari?
Save politics, what would it cost the PDP to acknowledge the fine points in Buhari’s speech and say: “Mr President, we appreciate your decision to ‘finally’ address the nation on the COVID-19 that is striking fear and anxiety in Nigerians.
“While we welcome the measures you have laid out, and hope they are implemented quickly and faithfully, we note that ‘you left out essential ingredients, such as the real necessities of the majority of Nigerians who reside in the states under the lockdown.’
“Besides, 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.’
“The PDP therefore urge Mr Buhari to ‘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.'”
These four paragraphs would have earned the PDP plaudits and more political mileage than its resort to a pastime of criticising like an attack dog that chases even its own shadow.
The sobering times are not for deployment of words or phrases as “unfortunate,” “saddening,” “ largely cosmetic,” and “parochial approach.” The party can do without these negative words that inflame passion and invoke unintended interpretation.
But what’s “parochial” in Buhari’s approach to the virus? Has he withheld funds from any states on sectional or political ground? Does PDP want money thrown at states with no virus cases?
Funds for emergency are not shared as a “national cake.” They’re for states in need, such as Lagos, Ogun and Abuja, and not in want, like Anambra, whose Governor Willie Obiano asked for N1 billion from Buhari to kick out a “non-existent” virus from the state.
This period calls for constructive opposition that not only condemns and criticises when things are wrong, but also appreciates and commends when things are right. Or do all things go wrong in the eye and estimation of the opposition?
Yet, Buhari and his government should take the PDP lowdown as a sign that they can’t do enough to stem the opposition’s feasting on COVID-19 infections that seem headed for the sky.
PDP did confirm its insatiability when the pump price was reviewed from N125 to N123.50. The party “demanded” N90 per litre, and urged the authorities to publish how they arrived at N123.50, but without the PDP explaining how it got the price down to N90.
Howbeit, government should faithfully address worries expressed by Nigerians caught in the throes of a pandemic they least expected amidst the downturns that have plagued their lives for years.
* Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
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