Africa-Press – Nigeria. Alliance for the Survival of COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), a group led by Femi Falana, has blamed the alleged inaction of President Muhammadu Buhari-led government for the second wave of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
The group also said that the federal government contributed to the development by also not responding to the second wave of the pandemic on time.
There has been an upsurge in new cases of the virus in Nigeria recently, with records of many deaths.
In its response to the development in a statement on Tuesday signed by Falana, ASCAB said, “Nigerians are faced with more deaths in the face of the rising casualties of people dying from COVID-19 across the country. While the second wave hit Europe and Asia in late October, the Nigerian authorities had a window of opportunity to make preparations for the inevitable second wave hitting Nigeria, but as usual, nothing was done”.
The group regretted that the federal government amid perceived incompetence in handling the surge, still claimed it had spent N31 billion in four months in tackling the pandemic.
ASCAB further lamented that Nigeria currently was faced with diminishing test kits, lack of essential dedicated medicine, weak campaign strategy and lacked both short and long term strategic National Action Plan to respond to the virus.
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“Adherence to strict COVID-19 protocols has broken down due to a weak enforcement regime, poor leadership examples, disobedience of protocol by security officials and devotion of available health facilities to the service of the elite and their family members,” it added.
Further noting that poor people have no access to tests and treatment, Falana lamented that corruption was affecting national and state responses to the spread of the pandemic.
He said, “Many people come into the country without adequate tests while certified medical certificates are being sold to the highest bidder. During the period of December, Nigeria had an irresponsible open door policy that allowed anybody to come into the country without any tests carried out at the points of arrival. The federal government responded by banning some people from travelling out of the country but nothing was done to monitor their movements to ensure compliance with the self -isolation directive.”
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