Declare national lockdown, group tells FG as CIA predicts COVID-19 end

• NGOs deploy 1000 volunteers to monitor palliatives

The 2014 Nigeria Movement has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a total lockdown of all states of the country, given the rate at which the virus was spreading.

COVID-19 has covered about 19 states in Nigeria. As at April 20, 665 a total of 38 confirmed new cases were reported including 23 in Kano, three in Gombe, three in Kaduna, two each in Borno and Abia and one case each in the Federal Capital Terrotory (FCT), Abuja, Sokoto and Ekiti states, while 22 person have died from the virus and 188 have been discharged.

In a statement issued by its National Policy Adviser, David Ize-Iyamu, the group said locking down states in batches was not in the interest of most Nigerians as those discharged could be re-infected if other states were not also cleared at the same time.

Besides, the Chartered Institute of Administration (CIA), yesterday condoled with President Muhammadu Buhari over the death of his Chief of Staff (COS), Abba Kyari, while expressing hope that the country and the world would soon overcome COVID-19.

In a statement by its President and Chairman of Council, Samson Olopade, the institute described Kyari as a selfless Nigerian who sacrificed his life for the growth and development of the country, adding, “We are confident that Nigeria and indeed the entire world will come out of this trying time and things would normalise again.”

Meanwhile, civil society groups have deployed no fewer than 1000 volunteers to evaluate the processes and impact of Federal Government’s palliatives across the country.

The groups said the deployment was aimed at ensuring transparency in the distribution process and to ensure the measures reach the end users. Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) in collaboration with the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARD-C) deployed the monitors last weekend across nine states and the FCT

A statement jointly signed in Lagos by Chairman of HEDA, Olanrewaju Suraju and his WARD-C counterpart, Dr. Abiola Akiode-Afolabi, disclosed that the volunteers would produce a comprehensive report covering strategic areas using questionnaires and other tools designed to meet global best practices.

Respondents in Ogun, Enugu, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Lagos, Borno, Kano and Kaduna states and the FCT, were critical stakeholders including but not limited to health workers. The monitors include women, People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) and media practitioners.