The Southern Nigeria Communities Organization says the Federal Government has failed to use scientific methods to battled Coronavirus pandemic which has ravaged different parts of the world with the attendant loss of lives, tolled on public healthcare, the economy and the psychological toll on mankind.
“We have observed as the developed countries with modern facilities and robust structures struggle to contain the pandemic. We have also observed the efforts of the federal and state governments of Nigeria. The pandemic is real so are its pains”, the group said in a statement.
Since the 1st April 2020, the federal and state governments have adopted the Lock-down Policy of that most countries adopted so as to break the rate of infection and even stop the infections outrightly.
However, the group noted that ss good as the policy seems to be on the face of it, the governments in Nigeria have failed woefully to adopt scientific methods and social/public health engineering for the best outcomes.
“Recall that since the lock-down took effect, parts of Nigeria that had no cases suddenly started having cases; from Katsina to Kaduna, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Anambra, Delta and Akwa Ibom.
“These states had zero cases of the Coronavirus BEFORE the lock-down but started having cases DURING the lock-down. This data shows that the lock-down in Nigeria is fundamentally flawed!
“Yet, we have locked down the whole country with the attendant widespread hunger and the obvious economic stress. And the cases actually INCREASED?
According to the SNC,it has formulated a broad and well-researched policy to combat the Coronavirus. We wish to share a summary with your governments.
According to the group, some of the policies include: “Lock-down is only successful in countries and cities with good infrastructure and economy; where the people are not poor and there are district grocery and convenience stores. The Nigerian State and cities do not have these attributes so the lock-down as implemented by the governments is not working as such; rather, the security agencies have monetized movement and thus, of no effect. The poor are at the receiving end of the lock-down.
“It is foolhardy to lock-down citizens just to contain the spread of the virus without actually massively testing the citizens and deliberately treating those with suspected cases. The current policy waits for people to show some symptoms after which they’re invited for treatment while they had infected hundreds of others that now prove impossible to trace. Our findings show that the current method actually HELPS the spread of the disease rather than help to contain it. We cannot simply lock-down without ACTIVELY and MASSIVELY testing the citizens and treating those that were positive!
“A radical lock-down that should never be compromised is the international gateways! The airports, seaports and land borders should NEVER be opened in any way. Reports reaching us reveal that the Nigerian State is very lax with the international gateways!
“Locking down all aspects of the is a sure death knell for the economy post-lock-down. The economy should never be allowed to wane considering the pandemic poverty already in the country. There’s the need to radically change the anti Coronavirus strategy across Nigeria”.
Breaking it down further, the group called on the government to adopt the following measures: “There is the need for the federal government to collaborate with the state and local governments and the village governments to redefine the lock-down policy and jointly adopt it.
“The lock-down is recommended to be on a regional basis such that rather than have states isolating themselves, groups of states should isolate as a single unit such that goods and services would move within the region but not beyond. With this, the economy of the regions is sustained while the available market is large enough to sustain a business while still locking down on a regional basis! Folks should be able to move freely within the region but kept within the region.
“The federal and state governments should massively import testing kit from the USA (Abbot Laboratories sells at $800 per unit). The sum of $2m would give us about 2200 units which should be shared among the states that would share among all the hospitals in the states including the private ones.
“All citizens of every state shall be mandated to carry out testing at least twice a month for the next 3 months such that the asymptomatic ones are discovered and treated.
“The federal government should liaise with the state governments to provide personnel, retrain within a week and equip the hospitals. All cases should be paid for by government via the insurance companies such that the citizens realize that they only have to present themselves.
“The international gateways should remain locked while the internal economy of the Nigerian State would keep turning as the lock-down would be regional and People being actively tested.
“The NCDC should actively set up a database and review the models from their offices and research institutes to help track and monitor the new policy.
“The current method of just locking down while waiting for cases and doing nothing is the height of stupidity”
The group argued that it is the height of foolery to continue with the current lock-down while insulting citizens with token sharing of beggarly relief materials that help nothing.
“The Southern Nigeria Communities Organization is calling the federal and state governments to review the lock-down policy against the Coronavirus pandemic and invite technocrats and public health policy drivers to help review this tailor-made policy and implement it in practical terms in Nigeria. This is our position.
“We call all people of Goodwill to help impress it upon the governments in Nigeria to review the current lock-down policy as it is not working”
