Buhari’s COVID-19 address failed to offer solutions —PDP

Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday dismissed President Muhammadu Buhari’s address to the nation on COVID-19 address, describing it as empty and failing to offer decisive solutions to protect Nigerians from the deadly pandemic.

According to a statement on Monday night by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said it was also disappointed that President Buhari did not offer any post lockdown stimulus to assist Nigerians in the private sector.

The party noted that businesses of the private sector had been crippled by the lockdown and are now faced with the burden of workers’ salaries and business refinancing.

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It also lamented that apart from the elementary lockdown and alleged failed palliative showboating, Buhari did not offer a decisive solution regarding the production of drugs, testing kits, and management of equipment to safeguard Nigerians, despite the huge resources at the disposal of his administration.

“The party insists that had President Buhari heeded this demand by Nigerians at the onset of the pandemic, the situation would not have escalated to this frightening level with no solutions in sight.

“The PDP also finds it difficult to reconcile President Buhari’s assurances of adequate test kits with the disposition of the National Center for Disease Control which declared that it is desperately in shortage of test kits and other medical equipment to combat the scourge.

“Our party invites Nigerians to observe how countries like Senegal had effectively mobilized their indigenous medical researchers and manufacturers to produce low-cost quick testing kits as well as ventilators while investing massively in the production of drugs for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

“Furthermore, President Buhari should immediately rally efforts within the public and private sectors to provide post lockdown stimulus for the private sector while eliminating corruption to ensure the distribution of palliatives to target vulnerable citizens.”

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