By Hamilton Nwosa(Head, The New Diplomat’s Business and data tracking desk)
Deputy senate president, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has expressed concern about some people who are mounting pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to throw wide open the economy without considering the grave implications involved.
Seantor Omo-Agege who represents Delta Central at the Upper Legislative Chambers made the declaration while contributing to a debate on a motion on the floor of the Senate Tuesday, argued that he is worried over the “raging agitation” for President Buhari to reopen the economy in the face of COVID-19.
The motion entitled “COVID-19 Pandemic: Reviewing the national response to the challenges and the way forward” was sponsored by Abdullahi Yahaya, the majority leader.The COVID-19 pandemic which has negatively slowed down the state of the Nigerian economy and affected global trade.
Recall that president Buhari had said the restrictions on movement would be eased from Monday, May 4th. While supporting Buhari’s position on phased re-opening of the economy Omo-Agege said those agitating for a total reopening of the economy are not mindful of the fact that only those who are living could benefit from an economy.
He said: “What concerns me most is the raging agitation to rush Mr President to reopen the country. Mr President I’m worried and very concerned,” he said.
He added:“I am still bewildered why the decision of lockdown was still limited to these three states. What concerns me the most is the urging agitation to reopen the economy. I am worried and concerned. The argument is being made that the cure should not be worse than the problem. People are worried about the effect of the pandemic.
“It is my belief that you have to be alive first before you can seek the benefit of an economy. It does not appear that those who are clamouring for the reopening of this economy are mindful of that. For a historian, we know what occurred in 1918, following the Spanish flu, we remember how people were agitating and as soon as that was done, there was a spike off the spread of the disease. That was in 1918 and 1919. I am worried that the president is now being pressured. In the first 14 days of the lockdown, we didn’t prepare enough by way of palliatives. There is this misconception that the federal government has the responsibility to provide the palliatives. That should not be the situation.”
Nigeria has so far recorded 1,532 cases of the dreaded disease as at the time of filing this report.
