14 Days Extension By President Buhari Is Unreasonable – Ikokwu

Chief Guy Ikokwu, a lawyer and member of inner caucus of Igbo pan socio-cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo, has faulted the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the lockdown in Abuja, Lagos, and the Ogun States by another 14 days, stressing that the decision is unreasonable.

The lawyer in a chat with DAILY INDEPENDENT on Monday maintained that it was highly unthinkable that the president should take such a harsh decision, not considering the economic implication of such drastic action, maintaining that majority of Nigerians earn their living on a daily basis.

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He wondered how the government had thought that the citizens who had been asked to sit-at-home would survive. He pointed out that the majority of the people had no food, money, and the banks were not functioning.

“It is most likely that we would have a lot of problems on our hands. A lot of demonstration has already started. The rate of armed robbery is high. It is reported that robbers now break into homes and shops of innocent citizens to disposes them of their valuables.

“Government has claimed that it is giving palliatives to the vulnerable when it gives a loaf of bread to 50 persons. I don’t know how that would amount to economic stimulus.

“Government cannot say that it does not know how to give palliatives to the citizens. It has the bank verification numbers (BVN) of everyone, including the vulnerable and it can identify those who should benefit from any palliative. It has every information to guide it on those who should have their accounts credited” he said.

The Ohaneze chieftain maintained that the level of corruption in the country had become alarming, stressing that government should get up to work and do the needful, as the majority of the people would not eat if they failed to go out on a daily basis to earn a living. He pointed out that if the government should be sincere about fighting COVID-19 pandemic, it should take the right decision and stop deceiving the citizens by taking unpopular decisions that would not achieve any positive result