A pro-democracy group, Concerned Nigerians, has reacted to call by the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, on a nationwide lockdown amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
Convener of the group, Deji Adeyanju said the 36 governors agreed to a nationwide lockdown because President Muhammadu Buhari has “absconded from his duties and responsibilities.”
Recall that NGF had yesterday demanded for a two weeks interstate lockdown in a bid to tackle the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
NGF made the call in a communiqué issued after its Wednesday’s 6th teleconference meeting.
In the communiqué signed by its Chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, the forum said the call was necessary following confirmed cases of coronavirus in over 26 states.
However, Adeyanju in a statement said: “Currently, there is a leadership vacuum in Nigeria and it’s so sad that it’s the Governors who are now rising to the occasion.
“The 36 state governors just agreed on a nationwide lockdown of the country since the Commander-in-Chief has absconded from his duties and responsibilities.
“Under our laws, the governors cannot lockdown the country but when the president is missing in action during a pandemic, then we must all commend the decisive actions of the governors no matter how unconstitutional the act may be.
“Conclusively, one must ask: where is our President and the Vice President?”
“I am also tempted to ask, where are all the testing kits and equipment donated by Chinese billionaire, Jack Ma? Why is Kano complaining of not having enough testing kits? And why are we not investigating the alleged mysterious deaths and secret burials happening in Kano?”
According to the NCDC, Nigeria has so far recorded 873 confirmed cases, with 197 being discharged and 28 deaths including the President’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.