Lockdown: Secondus Tasks Buhari on Economy, Vulnerable People

Ahead of tomorrow's expected decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to either lift the COVID-19 induced lockdown or extend it, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has urged the president to consider the health of the economy and the plights of the vulnerable people before his decision.

The PDP chieftain in an interview with journalists stated that in as much as the action of the federal government is to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to do so with the "milk of human kindness by not preventing  one virus and creating another deadlier one, which is hunger.”

He called on the federal government to emulate the United States Government, where all the states are not shut down, as some have partial movement of people.

Secondus said as Nigerians expect the federal government decision, considerations should be taken on the nature of economy that the country runs.

According to the national chairman of the PDP, "The Nigeria economy, apart from its main dependence on oil, is majorly dependent on the entrepreneurial skills of the artisans, bricklayers, market men and women and other small and medium scale business people.

"The continued stay at home of these set of people would not help the already jeopardised economy, where our major foreign income earning measure has fallen to the worst state in the last 20 years.  We should not use policies that could worsen the economy. Crime is on the rise now in the country."

Secondus asked the federal government to also take into cognisance the plights of the pensioners and other vulnerable people in the country.

He said:  "There are those who have served this country meritoriously. What palliative measures have been put in place for them?

"Has the distribution of the palliatives taken care of these set of people?  What of the artisan that depend on their daily sales to feed themselves and their families.

"Before this virus, these sets of people depend on the proceeds of their daily sales to feed their families.  Now that there is restricted movement, what do we expect them to feed their families with?”

Secondus further called on the federal government to heed the advice of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other well-meaning Nigerians and ensure a partial restriction of movement in order to allow people to engage in their daily chores.

The PDP chieftain said: "The economy is gradually being heated up and this is dangerous for all.  This is the time to be wise. Everything is not Jack boot politics.

"These restrictions of movement has contributed in increasing the level of crimes everywhere and every day," appealing that the bottled anger ready before the coronavirus pandemic should not be allowed to cause more damage to the perilous economy.

Meanwhile, he said there should be a decentralised method of testing for the disease by giving more facilities to the states than concentrating every aspect of the test on the federal government and it's agencies like the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

 Secondus added: "This is the time to show leadership.  Everything is not politics. The government should ensure that several Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) are equally distributed to states."