former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has urged Nigerians who tested positive for the coronavirus disease not to hide their status.
Atiku in a tweet yesterday, told Nigerians to emulate Governors Bala Mohammed and Nasir el-Rufai, as well as the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammed Babandede, who were bold enough to make public their COVID-19 status.
I wish to recommend the examples of Governors @Sen Bala Mohammed, @elrufai and CG @immigration Babandede, MFR for their disclosure.
“We can beat this pandemic by being open about it, educating our people, isolation and testing. It is not a death sentence, we will all be fine,” Atiku stated in the tweet.
Also, Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) called on Nigerians to close ranks and work with government towards curbing the spread of the virus.
CUPP in a statement by its spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere, said though some of the drastic measures taken by government to contain the disease were without legislative backing, they were taken in the interest of the people.
“The CUPP is of the considered opinion that Nigerians must have to survive first before we ask questions.
“We admit that some of the drastic decisions taken by some governments at certain levels have been shown not to be in conformity with the law.
However, this unprecedented challenge which we face and which has in many instances made it impossible for legislative houses to meet must be considered in context.
“We shall as opposition, forgive any drastic steps taken by any government so long as it is in the interest of the people.
“We shall only challenge with a view to stopping any decision or action taken outside the provision of the law, which is obviously against the interest of the people or tainted with corruption.
“We state that this is the best time to stop all divides, close ranks and fight the enemy trying to consume us,” the coalition stated.
CUPP, however, urged those bestowed with any responsibility to discharge them diligently, warning that this is not the time to make a fortune out of the common misfortune of the Nigerian people.
The coalition further called on all returning travellers into the country and those who might have had any close contacts with any infected person to surrender themselves for testing.
“The virus is not an express death warrant if the right steps are taken. They should come forth now in their own interest and those of their loved ones who will be the first line to be infected,” CUPP advised.
Meanwhile, President-General of Umu-Igbo Unity Forum, Dr. Godwin Duru, yesterday called for palliative measures for the Nigerian citizens to mitigate the effect of the government lockdown.
Duru noted that greater percentage of Nigerians do not have the financial wherewithal to withstand long periods of lockdown.
“It is evident that most Nigerian citizens whose means of livelihood could be suspended via this lockdown may be hit by other adverse effects such as hunger and lack, which now makes it imperative that federal and state governments should offer adequate optional provisions for its citizens,” he said.
He commended individuals and corporate organisations that had donated money and other incendiary reliefs for the eradication of the virus in Nigeria.
Duru also called on the government to waive taxes for Nigerians as part of socio-economic palliative measures to ameliorate the impact of the pandemic.