..Says 80 percent yet to feel the impact

 By Chris Ochayi

A pro government group known as Committee of Youth on Mobilization and Sensitization, CYMS, has urged the Federal Government to ensure fairness in the distribution of  palliatives to Nigerians during the extension of lockdown ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The group, which faulted the processes of distribution of palliatives to the people during the first of lockdown, noted that over 80 percent of the affected Nigerians did not benefit or feel the impact of the largesse.

Recall the President, Muhammadu Buhari has on Monday, extended for another two weeks the lockdown imposed on the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Lagos and Ogun states aimed to curb the spread of coronavirus, COVID-19 in the country.

President Buhari had on Sunday, March 29, 2020, in a nationwide address, lockdown the two states and Abuja for the same reason.

With the extension of total lockdown, the group, while reviewing the process of distribution of palliatives in the last two weeks, said residents in Lagos, Ogun States and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, were reeling in pains pain over the effects of the order.

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The  CYMS’s Intelligent Officer Manuchimso Sam Amadi while speaking with newsmen Tuesday in  Abuja said for the lockdown to be effective Government must brace up to the occasion and provide more and better  palliatives to cushion the impacts of the lockdown.

According to him, over 80 per cent of Nigerians are yet to feel the impact, following the CYMS intelligent gathering report conducted by the Security Department of the organisation

“We call on the Federal and State governments to engage better. They must design better palliatives that take into cognisance the structure of our society. The private sectors should also be fully involved”.

He however advised the security agencies to be Professional in the enforcement of the lockdown order while condemning any form of harassment that might have been meted on the media personnel, health and social workers working to defeat the Covid-19 in the country.

Amadi said that the fight against Covid-19 virus is a corporate responsibility of everyone and hence must be carried out with high level of civility, and commended the efforts of the Federal, State Governments, private firms and Non- governmental organisations for their prompt intervention and humanitarian services in line with the COVID-19 programme.

“CYMS is appealing to the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 to ensure that Nigerians, especially the masses at rural areas, have the feeling of the Federal government’s intervention with regards to the N500 billion,“ he said.

It would be recalled that the money was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari to be shared to Nigerians as intervention fund to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on Nigerians.

Amadi, therefore, urged all Nigerians to join hands together, and cooperate with the government to win the fight against this deadly virus.

Vanguard