COVID-19: Nigerians fed like pigs – Arewa, Ohanaeze, Ijaw, Yoruba groups cry out

A coalition of socio-cultural groups, the Nigerian Ethnic Nationality Youth Leaders Forum(NENYLF), has accused the Nigerian Customs Services of feeding Nigerians with ridiculous crumbs and spoilt waste rice like caged pigs.

The forum comprising the Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide, Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Arewa Consultative Youth Forum, and the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide made the remark while faulting the distribution of palliative amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

They also called on President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice, Yemi Osinbajo to review the current unimpressive and lackadaisical approach and templates on the modus operandi in the management, administration and control of the COVID pandemic in Nigeria.

Their call was contained in a statement signed by Alhaji Yerimma Shetimma, Chairman, NENYLF, President, Arewa Consultative Youth Forum(ACYF), Aare Oladotun Hassan, Esq, Secretary-General, NENYLF, President, Yoruba Council of Ýouths Worldwide(YCYW).

The statement reads: “We are compelled to react to the unmitigated precarious and discouraging state of affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as it affects the survival and welfare of the over 200 million Nigerian population, particularly the Youths, considering the spiral rising curve of the dreaded Coronavirus pandemic globally which has infected over 2,000,000 and claimed a little below 200,000 lives, with multiple attendant negatives of harrowing experiences since the past one month(March to April) till date, leaving behind monumental tales of woes, plague, deaths, pains, agony and hunger.”

Most, unfortunately, the Government of Nigeria has displayed a lack of capacity, capability and preparation, not to mention the low provisions for adequate succinct health care services deliveries and total welfare of her citizenry.

“We are not unaware of the challenges thrown up by the outbreak of the highly contagious novel Coronavirus disease, which has erupted a national and global economic crisis.

“It is on this wise that we call on President Muhammadu Buhari alongside Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN to urgently review the current unimpressive and lackadaisical approach and templates on the modus operandi in the management, administration and control of the COVID pandemic in Nigeria, while it must be impressed on the members of the Presidential Taskforce Against COVID 19 led by Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, alongside the 36 States Governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors Forum(NGF) led by Dr. Kayode Fayemi CON, Executive Governor of Ekiti State to exercise lots of caution and restraint in their resolution for relaxation and another 14 days extension of the lockdown, predicated on restrictive movements and compulsory wearing of face mask and other ancillary points raised respectively.

“We are aghast to pass a vote of no confidence to the Presidential Task Force Committee based on the multi-level discrepancies and complicity in the management of the entire COVID-19 breakout in the past few weeks ever since the index case of COVID 19 in the month of March till date.

“We are left to ponder as spectators, rather than as expected partners compared to how the novel disease is being contained and managed in China and other countries of the world, where the government placed their people #first, in clear contrast to what prevails in Nigeria, wherein citizens are relegated to the lowest web, with constant decrement of our human value to ordinary reared animals in the zoo, even the zoo management will not treat animals the way our government treated Nigerians with absolute neglects, disgust and disdain.

“Our citizens are fed like caged pigs with ridiculous crumbs and spoilt waste rice from the abandoned trash bins of the Nigerian Custom Services and other unrealistic food silos.

“Regrettably, watching the deceitful conducts on our National Television broadcast daily reminds one of the biblical perilous end time and tribulations, with increased grave negative results in the recent weeks; ranging from abject poverty, warlock hunger and incessant breakdown of law and order. For instance feeding a whole community with two loaves of bread and Derica Cup per street/One paint bucket of rice per unit community via CDA’s, mostly having been hijacked by political party cronies and government’s apologists.