The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has kicked in strong terms against President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to relax the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja.
The body representing tertiary institution students in the country slammed the Federal Government for relaxing the lockdown order, saying the government is not fully prepared to fight the spread of the deadly pandemic as the decision shows a ‘lack of policy direction’ on the part of the government.
In a statement by NANS National spokesperson, Azeez Adeyemi on Thursday, the association insisted that the Federal Government’s directive that selling foodstuff be allowed between 10 am to 2 pm in Ogun, Lagos and Abuja has further exposed the government’s “unseriousness, unpreparedness and lack of policy direction” in the fight against the spread of the virus.
Adeyemi said: “Radical problems require radical solutions. The Federal Government cannot relax the lockdown by opening markets and there won’t be vehicular and mass human movement.
“This new development will do no good, but it will further increase the risk of more people contracting the virus. The government’s decision will further expose innocent Nigerians to the risk of contracting COVID-19 even on a large scale.
“The government has done nothing good but to further promoted the spread of Coronavirus by opening markets. And as concerned and responsible body of students in Nigeria, we call on the Federal government to immediately reverse the decision.
“If we want to really defeat the evil plaguing this country called COVID-19, we must be ready to pay the price no matter the cost. The number of victims is drastically increasing every day, and we must not allow the virus to get out of control.
“It is a shame that the Federal government is not considering COVID-19 as a dangerous pandemic that can consume the entire nation. What else can we call this unseriousness and deliberate carelessness on the part of the Federal government?” Adeyemi queried.
NANS also called on President Mohammadu Buhari to probe the alleged distribution of N3 Billion by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, to the vulnerable people within 24 hours.
