The prominent civil Rights advocacy platform – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS
ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has described as a “mass suicidal”
tendency the government’s deliberate failure to take concrete actions to
stave off and contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
HURIWA lamented the lack of political will power and the right
leadership at both national and subnational levels in Nigeria to
mobilize Nigerians and enlighten them along the lines of what they are
supposed to do in the current severe medical emergency created by the
emergence of COVID-19.
Besides, the Rights group has asked civil Rights bodies and Nigerians of
means to institute fundamental Rights enforcement processes against the
Federal government at the FEDERAL HIGH COURTS to obtain declaratory
orders mandating President Muhammadu Buhari to personally address the
nation, close the land borders and impose strict travel bans for people
coming in from jurisdictions with unprecedented cases of the new
pandemic. “The Right to life is sacrosanct and inalienable but it is one
of the first generation rights that can not be recovered the moment the
citizen is dead. This is the time to use all lawful means to force
President Muhammadu Buhari to embrace responsible, responsive and
receptive political approach to confront the biggest health emergency
the World has seen in the last 100 years.
“We totally condemn the poor attitudes of the federal government;
President Muhammadu Buhari particularly and the painful non-challant
tendencies of virtually all the key federal and state governmental
officials who are behaving as if they are paid to allow the coronavirus
to become widespread in the country before any concrete measures can be
adopted. This attitude is at best the type you see in persons who are
bent on embarking on “mass suicides.”
“Why will the federal government insists on allowing all kinds of
travels into Nigeria even from nations whereby the unfortunate pandemic
is more widespread? Why take such insensitive, reckless and irrational
step when even developed societies with the best of technologies and
medical facilities in Europe, America, and Australia have imposed one
type of restrictions on travels or the other? This is outrageous and
outrightly despicable.”
“As a matter of fact, it is a manifestation of a lack of leadership that
till now, the current president has not thought it wise to personally
address Nigeria. This is scandalous. Nations like Kenya, Namibia, South
Africa, Ghana, and Senegal amongst others have had their presidents
actively take the driving seats in the fight against coronavirus but in
Nigeria it is as if we are political orphans. NIGERIAN PRESIDENT MAY
HABE TO BE COMPELLED BY COURT ORDERS TO SPEAK TO NIGERIANS.”
“The Federal Government says it has no plans to impose travel
restrictions on visitors from countries where coronavirus continues to
spread rapidly. Tbis piece of ibformation as far as HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS
ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) is concerned is insanely irrational to
have been made by our government at this perilous time of coronavirus.
HURIWA believes that the decision by Nigeria to casually screen
visitors entering the country from China (where the disease originated
last year), Japan, Iran, Italy, Germany, France, South Korea and Spain
is a national scandal and a monumental disgrace. This current suicidal
government must be called to order immediatelly. Nigerians must speak
out so we are not led astray by a rudderless government .”
“HURIWA heard that whilst addressing a press conference in Abuja on
Monday, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnibe Mamora, said
the FG decided to screen visitors from the eight countries after the
World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.
This is a grave ertor of JUDGMENT which must be reversed and the most
stringent travel ban imposed”
“Is Mr President listening and is he unaeare that South Africa has
barred some foreigners from entering and will close schools; Eurooean
Union states including Germany, Austria and France are among the latest
to announce radical action to curb the spread of the virus; against all
but essential travel to Spain after the government there announced
emergency restrictions; the Foreign Office has issued the same advice
for the United States of America , effective from Tuesday morning, after
President Trump decided to extend a European travel ban to include the
UK; Airlines warned the UK’s aviation industry may not survive the
pandemic without emergency financial support; And about 600 Britons are
among passengers stranded on a Fred Olsen cruise ship in the Bahamas
after five people on board tested positive for the virus. The company
said all onboard bars and restaurants are still open and passengers had
been given a “complementary all-inclusive drinks package.” Is President
Muhammadu Buhari not aware of all these strong steos taken by civilised
societies?”