Chief Olabode George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday said he is not impressed with the manner the Federal Government is fighting the war against the Coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Speaking in an interview with Daily Independent, George who donated N160m to the less privileged as part of measures to cushion the effects of the ongoing lockdown said the federal government is fighting the COVID-19 war with kid gloves.
Speaking on the death of Mallam Abba Kyari, former Chief of Staff to the President who died last week due to COVID-19 complications, George lamented that there are no daily briefings to Nigerians key issues which has led to the people feeding on rumours.

The Atona Oodua of Yorubaland also argued that an expert in the medical field should have been appointed as Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 instead of Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
“For me, there are lapses. It is not an administrative issue. They needed to have certain people with knowledge who are specialists in that level, who will give us detailed explanation of what this COVID-19 pandemic is all about so that Nigerians can get a full grasp of what we are dealing with”.

“Nigerians are currently lockdown at home for more than three weeks now. What is the alternative for low income earners, people who rely on daily income. How will they survive?”

“We need daily briefings on this issue. The Chief of Staff to the President passed on. Some said he died London, others said he was flown to Cuba while some said he died in Lagos here. Nobody got the right information. I don’t subscribe to the management at all.”

“How can the Secretary to the Government of the Federation be the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force? We need somebody with good expertise and knowledge of what the virus is. It is a war but we are fighting it with kid gloves. This is a war that you can’t see your enemy.”

“We need people to brief Nigerians on a daily basis. Who is giving us update? Nobody! We all feed on rumours and we don’t know what to believe”.

With the declining price of crude oil coupled with the COVID-19, George said Nigeria may be in for tough times, adding that how the Muhammadu Buhari government will navigate the country out of this trying period will really show its test of leadership.

“We are going to face a serious economic crisis soon. With the price of oil, which is the major income for this country going below zero dollar. How will the government meet up with its monthly allocation to states? Coupled with COVID-19, it is a very dangerous and unstable wind that is blowing”.

“This is going to be a measure of the performance of government. Look at America and see what President Donald Trump is doing. Look at the Germans, they quickly organized themselves and struck at the heart of the disease. Nigeria needs to do more”, he said.

Source:- Independent ng