Timi Frank
Nigeria's
President Muhammadu Buhari has been tackled by a former chieftain of
the All Progressives Congress over his speech yesterday.
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Monday, described President Muhammadu Buhari’s pre-recorded broadcast to the nation on Sunday evening as a monumental embarrassment to Nigerians.
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Monday, described President Muhammadu Buhari’s pre-recorded broadcast to the nation on Sunday evening as a monumental embarrassment to Nigerians.
Frank in a statement in Abuja, said that Nigerians were
disappointed in Buhari’s speech because it fell shamefully short of a
“presidential crisis broadcast” compared to what world leaders are
offering to their citizens at this time.
He said that Nigerians would have forgiven the President if he had
stuck to his decision not to speak to Nigerians on efforts being done to
contain the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country,
instead of being “wide in generalities and short on specifics.”
Frank said: “The broadcast was worse than COVID-19 because it
failed to outline a specific roadmap on how Nigeria can win this
invisible war.
“Any measure from the Federal Government that does not advance
Nigeria’s response to the COVID-19 will ultimately hurt Nigerians.
“The President has not only lost precious response time, he is yet
losing time while the rate of infection is steadily growing in the
country.
“Nigerians were highly disappointed that instead of a live
broadcast - with the media given the opportunity to seek clarifications
for the benefit of Nigerians - the President opted for a pre-recorded
and stilted message.
“He only played back to Nigerians what most experts have
recommended and which many state governments have already started
implementing.
“While Ghana with about 28 million population is attacking the
pandemic with $100 million, Nigeria with over 200 million people is
approaching the virus with a paltry N15 billion which translates to
roughly $40 million going by the prevailing exchange rate. Are we being
serious and responsive here?”
He commended the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),
Godwin Emefiele, for appealing to Chief Executives of commercial banks
to support the Federal Government’s fight against the pandemic.
He however called on individuals and corporate bodies that have
pledged financial assistance to contain the virus in the country not to
handover such funds to the administration if they don’t want their hard
earned resources looted.
“They should rather partner with individual state governments to
ensure that the funds are prudently spent like the example that GTBank
has done in partnership with the Lagos State Government by erecting a
100-bed hospital for the isolation and treatment of confirmed cases,” he
said.
According to the Bayelsa-born political activist, “Buhari only told
Nigerians what they already knew - things many state governments have
already implemented. Yet, all palliatives promised by the President will
be delivered in ‘coming weeks.’
“The President failed to tell Nigerians about the testing capacity
of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that is leading the
charge against this deadly virus in the country.
“How many people can the NCDC test per day and what medical
exigences are needed to successful treat confirmed cases and ensure that
they resume their normal lives?
“How many people are going to benefit from
the conditional cash transfer. How many IDPs will benefit from the
two months food rations being planned by Buhari in ‘the coming weeks?’
“Nigerians are aware that the school feeding programme of the
Federal Government has performed wonderfully in theory. How does the
President want to feed children that are not in school?
“Buhari restricted movement in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT for two
weeks, however, he failed to say when most civil servants especially in
the FCT that have not been paid will receive their salaries.
“How are these categories of workers expected to cope with the lockdown without a Kobo in their pockets?
“All over the world, no government has restricted media coverage of
the ongoing pandemic, but Buhari said those in Abuja and Lagos can only
move if they can prove they cannot work from home!
“Do media houses operate newsrooms or broadcast stations from the homes of their respective employees?
“I think Nigerians deserve something better from their President in the the face of this global scourge.”
He saluted Nigerians for their resilience in this trying moment and
prayed for quick recovery for those undergoing treatment as a result of
the virus.
He also urged Nigerians to intensify prayers for the pandemic to cease in the country.
Signed
Comrade Timi Frank
Political Activist
Abuja.
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