Why we are not happy with Buhari’s COVID-19 regulations ― SMBLF

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) have expressed their displeasure towards the COVID-19 regulations made by President Buhari in his broadcast on Sunday.

They condemned the shutting down of Lagos, Ogun and FCT, stating that it was too sudden and as such would have a major impact in the lives of the citizens when there is really no programme that is effectively dealing with the health crisis being faced.

The forum in a statement signed by Yinka Odumakin (South West), Gen CRU Iherike (South East), Senator Bassey Henshaw (South-South), and DR IsuwaDogo (Middle Belt), said:

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“The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) is constrained to make its position known on the major blunders that have characterised the Presidential regulations on COVID-19 as contained in the belated broadcast of President Buhari on Sunday.

“It is regrettable that after a long unpardonable silence on the pandemic, the Presidency still could not get it right due largely to its disregard for rules and its operation of a disorganized system and central planning.

“It is inexplicable that anyone who understands how society functions would shut down a city like Lagos under 24 hours without considering the impact on the citizens and when it is not that there is a serious programme of dealing with the health crisis on ground.

“The lockdown of Lagos, FCT and Ogun in such manner is therefore whimsical and too blatant.

“It is a flagrant violation of federal spirit to shut down states without consultation with governors under no known law than the jejune 1926 Colonial Quarantine Act the Attorney General is ignorantly flaunting about.”

SMBLF praised the governor of Ogun State for not immediately complying with the directives of the President and also likened his situation to the governor of New York who made it clear to President Trump that he had no power to shut his city down.

According to the Forum, “The action of Ogun State governor is a clear testimony to the fact that the President did not consult with the governors of the affected states.

“We do understand that there are people who may feel that this is an emergency situation and we should allow any measure to deal with it.

“But for us those who neglected us all these weeks cannot be said to now develop any sense of emergency. And to allow them get away with their characteristic abuse of process in this period is to arm them for more impunity in normal times.”

SMBLF stated that they were “in support of measures to deal with the COVID-19 situation as long as they were in accordance with the law and in Federal spirit.”

The group further advised states to make sure that whatever action they are carrying out is backed by the Law “and not to copy the arbitrariness of the Federal Government.”

For the armed forces enforcing the directives of the President, the SMBLF reminded them about the war going on with Boko Haram in the North East and advised the military to concentrate on that as quarantine is the responsibility of the Police and civil defence not them.

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