We understand the need for lockdown extension, but palliative not well handled, says Afenifere

Pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, on Monday said it understood the need to extend the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic as announced by President Muhammadu Buhari in his nationwide broadcast, but quickly expressed worries about the continuation of the palliatives promised by him as the stimulus package, had for the past 14 days, not reached the targeted people.

Afenifere said this in reaction to the lockdown extension announced by the president to cover the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states for another 14 days.

The group, however, enjoined President Buhari to take note of and address upheavals and security challenges in the locked down areas of the country.

Spokesperson of the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said this in a statement made available to the Tribune Online, even as he described as a far cry the idea of President Buhari promising to reach out to 3.6 million households in a country with over 80 million people living in extreme poverty.

“We understand why it is necessary to extend the lockdown and took note of his appreciation of the sacrifices of the past two weeks.

“But we have our worry about the continuation of the so-called palliatives of the past 14 days. We doubt if this is reaching the people. And it is a fact that you can’t get palliatives to the people from Abuja. The idea of promising to reach 3.6 million households in a country with over 80 million people living in extreme poverty is a far cry,” Odumakin said.

“How much of the economy can we build in the midst of coronavirus that we didn’t build in time we didn’t have a pandemic remains to be seen,” the Afenifere chieftain added.

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