CD Issues FG April 30 Ultimatum on Financial Palliatives

Rights group, the Campaign for Democracy (CD), on Tuesday tasked President Muhammdu Buhari to give financial palliative to all Nigerians in the wake of the continued lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group, therefore, gave the federal government up till April 30 to credit individual bank accounts nationwide or risk civil disobedience.

In a statement issued by its National Secretary, Ifeanyi Odili, which was made available to THISDAY in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the CD challenged the federal government to name individuals it had credited their accounts with its touted monetary palliative.

Accordingly, it said: “Our leaders commit a hell of evil with impunity, hoping there is nothing we can do.

“I tell you, we can do many things; only that we are still giving them more ropes to pull.

“According to our leaders, trillions of naira had been transferred to individuals’ accounts. When and whose accounts? Who were the beneficiaries? They think we don't know what they know. We know, but have decided to give them more time to repent.”

Odili noted that much as the coronavirus’ virulence ought to be contained by any responsive government, it is also an irresponsible act for any government to keep people indoors without food and other basic needs.

According to him, if the government had truly disbursed some trillions of naira to serve as palliatives, the funds’ impact has still to be felt in any way, noting that an average N2. 3 trillion, by his calculation, should give each individual about N20, 000 nationwide.

He said at the moment, many Nigerians are suffering untold hardship in the forms of hunger, unconscionable brutality from security operatives and midnight attacks from desperate and equally hungry armed robbers.

“How can you lock up people inside their rooms without food, while they (our leaders) and their families live in affluence at the expense of the rest of us?

“Is it not shameful and disappointing that Nigerians are weeping and groaning in a democratic dispensation which we considered the best administration compared to military?” He wondered.

The CD scribe also described as grossly inadequate, the various palliative measures in forms of distribution of five kilogrammes of rice and other food items by the state governments, saying the approach is not sustainable and has not gone round the populace.

Odili noted: “In a community, a head of a family was seen struggling to get five cups of rice as palliative.

“In fact, our leaders went ahead to say the items are meant for the most vulnerable. Who is not vulnerable now? Everybody is vulnerable.

“No doubt, every home is faced with hunger, except the homes that are located in government houses.”