COVID-19: Govt Has Shown Unparalleled Incompetence – Y.Z. Ya’u

Says Labour has suddenly gone off the radar

THE Executive Director of Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Mallam Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, has lashed out at the federal government for what he described as unparalleled level of incompetence in confronting the challenges of COVID 19.

Mallam YZ, as he is popularly known, made the observation in a comment he posted on his Facebook wall on Thursday, where he equally excoriated organised labour, CSOs and organised private sector for their incoherent and collective inactivity.

CITAD, a non-profit and governmental organisation with headquarters in Kano, has been in the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in collaboration with ActionAid International-Nigeria under a joint project, Local Right Program. Through the program, the two NGOs collaborate to conduct, among other activities, surveys and public education campaigns about covid-19 in communities around the Federal Capital Territory.

Mallam YZ said: “There is no point beating a dead horse in this matter. This government has shown an unparalleled level of incompetence in confronting the challenges of COVID 19.

“It has adequate window of grace to do its preparation. Since late January, it could have built and equipped testing, isolation and quarantine centres at all the major international gateways of the country and implement a compulsory quarantine for all coming into the country, the way a number of countries did. It did not and instead, it is responding in an ad hoc manner after the chickens have gone home to roost.

“It could have used the grace period to design and even test-run a palliative system, mobilising ideas in an inclusive way. It did not and instead in the late hour got a few political appointees and bureaucrats to do what they have no idea about.

“How can it be that in an all-important battle to save lives, government will opt for a non-inclusive body to handle this task? The same government that is calling on all (private sector, development partners, individuals) to make contribution but doesn’t want any of these to be part of the management of the resources or even harvest ideas from these on how to use the resources,) Mallam YZ commented.

Mallam YZ further noted that it is sad that the federal government has, in the face of the dangers that COVID 19 presents, rather reduced the fight into “a debate that is cast as a binary option between lockdown and hunger.”

He said against the background of the ample time it had after being forewarned of the outbreak of the pandemic, the federal government ought to “have carried out a massive sensitization campaign to prepare people both psychologically and in terms of understanding that we all have a role to play in curbing the spread of the virus.”

According to him, it is this missed opportunity that has led to the current expression from every part of the country that “it is better to die outside in the hospital than to die in groaning at home to the fangs of hunger.”

A Self-serving Presidential Task Force

Mallam YZ described the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 as self-serving committee concerned only with huge allowances being paid to members on a daily basis.

“The Presidential Taskforce is all but a self-serving committee only interested in the daily sitting allowance they get (reported to be N500,000 per day: give a local community organization in Zuba this amount to mount a community sensitization campaign, it could succeed in getting everyone to be at home, palliative or not),” YZ stated adding that the task force’s messages have fallen flat and are unbelievable because it has not worked to earn public trust and confidence.

“Take as simple as providing electricity free for the citizens under lockdown. The government cannot…reach agreement with the DISCOS. The Presidential Committee does not understand the importance of electricity in the lockdown period. It is not for citizens to have cold water and keep perishable things (which is also important) but that in the lockdown, electricity and data are what people need to stay connected and informed.

Consequences

“What do we see? It is a horrible celebration of anarchy as we gleefully report of armed youth committing arson or robbery staking neighborhood and we say it is paying the government right. The problem is that it is not the government that is paying for the consequences.

“It is our own people as double victims; first of arson and robbery and then second at the hand of COVID 19 when being out and exposed heighten the possibility of contracting the virus. We amplify the messages of anarchy in the mistaken belief that this will force the government to act. The truth is that no anarchy has ever solved any social problem. They cannot accelerate history as in the dawn of the social revolution. They can only disorganize and defocus the revolutionary forces of real social change. A mob cannot be the leadership that is missing across the breath of society in Nigeria.”

Absence of non-state actors

Mallam YZ, in the post, was also critical of civil society organisations and the organised private sector which he said constitute the “wider breadth of leadership centres in the country” for their inability to offer alternative ideas upon realising that the “government is so bereft of ideas in designing and implementing effective palliative measures.”

“How could it be that [we have ] a government [that] is so bereft of ideas in designing and implementing effective palliative measures but there is no forceful presentation and canvassing of an alternative beyond the clap trap of “if you do not do me palliative, I will not do you lockdown?” Mallam YZ asked, while also questioning the lack of voice from the private sector.

He called on the prophets of private sector as the engine of growth, and whose voice have suddenly gone quite to step out and show leadership if they truly want Nigerians to believe “in their worn-out message that the private sector, not the state, is the solution.”

While posing questions on the credibility of the palliative scheme being administered by government, Mallam YZ condemned the composition of the task force managing the palliative scheme, which he described as “a few political appointees and bureaucrats” appointed “to do what they have no idea about.”

He expressed dismay that in an all-important battle to save lives, the government had opted for a non-inclusive body to handle the tasks just as it is uncharitable for the same government which is calling on all stakeholders – private sector, development partners, individuals – to make contribution but turned around to indicate that it doesn’t need any of these stakeholders to be part of the management of the resources or their ideas on how to use the resources.

Step out, NLC

Mallam YZ was equally hard on organised labour describing it as having suddenly disappeared from the radar. While he did not mention any trade union centre in his challenge for organised labour to lead the people, it is believed that he has in mind the Nigeria Labour Congress, which had traditionally led the mass movement in Nigeria since its founding in 1978.

“Labour has suddenly disappeared from the radar, to leave medical and health workers at the frontline of the battle against COVID 19 to negotiate on their own protection and hazards at the service of the nation.” According to Mallam YZ, where government has failed, it becomes necessary for citizens to take the leadership.

“We cannot keep waiting for a government that is incapable of providing an aspiring leadership to lead the way. We must become the saviours of our communities. We have done enough of lamentation. Now is time to end that and think boldly and act swiftly.

“We must understand the key challenges which is curbing the spread of the virus while ensuring people have food to eat under lockdown and provide concrete solutions that can work whether government accepts them or not.

“Let it be known that even without lockdown, millions of Nigerians have been going to bed hungry. Perhaps this should also give us the opportunity to reflect on the type of society we want: do [we] continue to live [in] this increasing inequality, so that we can continue to produce a few Dangotes while millions sleep under the bridge or do we work towards a more just, equitable society where our focus would be to democratize resources to meet the needs of all and seek to banish hunger? Mallam YZ asked rhetorically.

Reinventing Leadership In Times Of Crisis By Y.Z Yau

Perhaps this should also give us the opportunity to reflect on the type of society we want: do we continue to live with this increasing inequality so that we can continue to produce a few Dangotes while millions sleep under the bridge or do we work towards a more just, equitable society where our focus would be to democratise resources to meet the needs of all and seek to banish hunger?

When in the face of the dangers that COVID-19 presents, a country is reduced to a debate that is cast as a binary option between lockdown and hunger, you know that leadership has gone on leave outside of the country. This is not just at the level of government, critical as that is, but also in the wider breath of leadership centres in the country – business, civil society, religious, etc. – no one wants both and the debate how can we banish the reason for both.

How could it be that a government is so bereft of ideas in designing and implementing effective palliative measures but there is no forceful presentation and canvassing of an alternative beyond the clap trap of “if you do not do me palliative, I will not do you lockdown?” How come the mobilisational capacity and the civic agency of the citizenry have all but gone to sleep, left by an ineffectual stirring of few civil society organisations in an ineffective shout of catch phrases of monitoring accountability of the implementation of the palliatives? Are we saying that we agree there is a palliatives scheme which has credibility and potentially effective that we can monitor? Labour has suddenly disappeared in the radar to leave medical and health workers at the frontline of the battle against COVID-19 to negotiate on their own protection and hazards at the service of the nation. The prophets of private sector as the engine of growth have suddenly gone quite: Can they step out and show leadership if they truly want us to believe in their worn-out message that the private sector, not the state, is the solution. Truth is that like leeches, they feast on the public sector they want us to hate, to nourish for their phenomenal profits.

There is no point beating a dead horse in this matter. This government has shown an unparalleled level of incompetence in confronting the challenges of COVID-19. It has adequate window of grace to do its preparation. Since late January, it could have built and equipped testing, isolation and quarantine centres at all the major international gateways of the country and implement a compulsory quarantine for all coming into the county, the way a number of countries did. It did not and instead it is responding in an ad-hoc manner after the chicken gone home to roast. It would have used the grace period to design and even test run a palliative system, mobilizing ideas in an inclusive way. It did not and instead in the late hour got a few political appointees and bureaucrats to do what they have no idea about. How can it be that in an all-important battle of save lives, government will opt for a non-inclusive body to handle this task? The same government that is calling on all (private sector, development partners, individuals) to make contribution but doesn’t want any of these to be part of the management of the resources or even harvest ideas from these on how to use the resources.

It would have carried out a massive sensitization campaign to prepare people both psychologically and in terms of understanding that we all have a role to play in curbing the spread of the virus. It missed this opportunity such that today it is not outlandish to hear people in the streets offering the argument that it is better to die outside in the hospital than to die in groaning at home to the fangs of hunger.

The Presidential Taskforce is all but a self-serving committee only interested in the daily sitting allowance they get (reported to be N500,000 per day: give a local community organization in Zuba this amount to mount a community sensitisation campaign, it could succeed in getting everyone to be at home, palliative or not). Its messages are fall flat and unbelievable because it has not worked to earn public trust and confidence. Take as simple as providing electricity free for the citizens under lockdown. The government cannot fight away to reach agreement with the DisCos. The presidential committee does not understand the importance of electricity in the lockdown period. It is not for citizens to have cold water and keep perishable things (which is also important) but that in the lockdown, electricity and data are what people need to stay connected and informed.

What do we see? It is a horrible celebration of anarchy as we gleefully report of armed youth committing arson or robbery staking neighbourhood and we say it is paying the government right. The problem is that it is not the government that is paying for the consequences. It is our own people as double victims first of arson and rubbery and then second at the hand of COVID-19 when being out, exposed, heighten the possibility of contracting the virus. We amplify the messages of anarchy in the mistaken belief that this will force the government to act. The truth is that no anarchy has ever solved any social problem. They cannot accelerate history as in the dawn of the social revolution. They can only disorganize and defocus the revolutionary forces of real social. A mob cannot be the leadership that is missing across the breath of society in Nigeria.

But where government has failed, it becomes necessary for citizens to take the leadership. We cannot keep waiting for a government that is incapable of providing an aspiring leadership to lead the way. We must become the saviours of our communities. We have done enough of lamentation. Now is time to end that and think boldly and act swiftly. We must understand the key challenges which is curbing the spread of the virus while ensuring people have food to eat under lockdown and provide concrete solutions that can work whether government accepts them or not. Let it be known that even without lockdown, millions of Nigeria have been going to bed hungry.

Perhaps this should also give us the opportunity to reflect on the type of society we want: do we continue to live with this increasing inequality so that we can continue to produce a few Dangotes while millions sleep under the bridge or do we work towards a more just, equitable society where our focus would be to democratise resources to meet the needs of all and seek to banish hunger?

CITAD Suggests Measures to Ensure Successful Lockdown

PRESS STATEMENT ON LOCKDOWN OF KANO STATE

BY

THE CENTRE FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT

Issued on the 17th of April, 2020

In our earlier press statement, we commended the Kano state government for taking the painful but bold step to lockdown the city effective from 10pm, Thursday the 16th of April, 2020. This in our part and as advised by many health professional bodies and organizations including the World Health Organization (W.H.O), is the right decision to take in the interest of all. But we concerned that Kano State is densely populated with majority of its residents dependent on informal jobs which requires them to go out daily to look for what they will eat and feed their family. It was in this regard that in our previous press statement released on the 15th of April, 2020, we called on the state government to state a clear road map on how the lockdown would be and to come up with palliatives programs to cushion the suffering people will enter during the lockdown.

Sadly, we observed that up to the evening of 16th of April, 2020 (the commencement time of the lockdown) the State Government has not announced any palliative for the teeming poor in the State. This has clearly shown that the government has no concern whatsoever the condition people would find themselves during the lockdown. As we are all aware. there is no way you will keep a person in one place for one week without food and expect him to survive. Secondly, the state government has also refused to disclose how it spent the donations given to it by individuals and organizations which shows lack of transparency on the part of the government.

Furthermore, this is a clear fact that unless the government comes up with a clear directive and concrete measures to cushion the hardship, most vulnerable people in the society will find themselves in serious problem which may render the lockdown ineffective.

Finally, we reiterate our stand that the Kano State Government as a matter of public interest and to avoid possible break down of law and order which will defeat the objective of the lockdown to:

i. Come up with a clear and elaborate plan on how to support the vulnerable people in the society which must be an accountable and all-inclusive one
ii. The State Government to inform the public how the donations given by different individuals and organizations have been used
iii. The well to do individuals in the society to support vulnerable groups in their areas at this critical time
iv. The state government to co-opt Civil Society Organizations and other individuals in all the committees for transparency and accountability

Ali Sabo
Campaigns and Communications Officer

19 Communities in FCT Yet to Benefits FG Palliatives

By Sarauniya Usman,Abuja.

Following the extension of lockdown by the federal government for the period of another 14 days,the Centre for Information Technology and Development, CITAD has identified 19 extremely poor communities across FCT that are yet to benefit from the palliative scheme.

The communities are: Abuja Municipal Council (8)– Gwalada, Tungan Ashere, Tungan Nasara, Dakwa, Gofidna, Jiwa, Jiwa Tsoho and Gwalada communities.

Others are Kwali Area Council (4) – Kilankwa, Leleyi Bassa, Leleyi Gwari and Pai communities, Bwari Area Council (4)-Paspa, Kuchibuyi, Igu and Guto communities; kuje Area Council (3) Gaube, Kayache and Tukpheci Communities

CITAD in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria are currently working with these 19 communities under the Local Rights Programmes.

“Our recent activities include awareness campaign and public sensitisation on COVID19 pandemic”.

The organisation, is calling on the Honorable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq to investigate the situation of these vulnerable Communities and for their immediate inclusion in the distribution of the palliatives.

CITAD also recommends that Civil Societies be involved as partners in responding to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic because of their wide reach and sense of accountability to ensure that desired results are achieved for this humanitarian intervention.

It would be recalled that on Sunday, 29th March 2020, The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria declared a lockdown across 2 States of the Nation and Federal Capital Territory for a period of 14 days. This was subsequently extension by another 14 days.

Upon the declaration of the initial lockdown, the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq confirmed the setup of a palliative scheme for over 11m households across the States and the FCT.

Only Two FCT Communities Have Received FG Palliatives So Far, Says Action Aid & CITAD

Only two communities have so far benefitted from the Federal Government of Nigeria’s palliatives regime, investigation has shown. A survey by two NGOs – the Centre for Information Technology and Development, (CITAD) and Action Aid Nigeria, (AAIN) discovered that 17 out of 19 communities in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) have not got anything as palliatives.

This throws a new dimension to controversies surrounding FG’s management of COVID-19 in Nigeria given that the FCT where this particular discovery is coming from is the seat of the federal authority and the principle of proximity would have been expected to guarantee it as the best theatre in efficient handling of palliatives. Until newer and contrary information emerge from the Government, that does not appear to be so.

It would be shocking if there were no controversies about managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, given the relative diversity of the country. The question, however, is whether the kinds of controversies so far are good or bad ones, irrespective of the morality meaning of words such as good and bad.

In this case, the two NGOs which said they have been working in 19 communities of the FCT under their Local Right Program showed through a survey, using public information centres they set up in the 19 communities, only two communities, Paspa in Bwari Area Council and Gaube in Kuje Area Council have received any form of support.

The other communities that are yet to receive any support include Gwalada, Jiwa, Jiwa Tsoho, Gofidna, Tungan Ashere, Tugan Nasara and Dakwa in Abuja Municipal Council and then Kilankwa, LeleyiBasssa, LeleyiGwari and Pai, all in Kwali Area Council. The last set comprises Kayache and Tukpheci in Kuje Area Council; Kuchibuyi, Igu and  Guto in Bwari Area Council.

“While we note that beneficiaries are predetermined as they are people already enrolled in the conditional cash transfer of the National Cash Transfer Office, it will be curious if there are no enrollees in these communities”, the NGOs said in a summary view of the report and are calling on the Government to look into the situation. They argue that, like any other part of the country, these communities do have extremely poor families.

Transparency is not escaping their attention too as they are equally drawing the ears of the FG to ensuring a transparent and accountable process that will ensure benefits do reach the real or intended beneficiaries. This is implied to be much easier if the Government works with civil society organisations as partners in responding to the crisis “as a situation like the one we are now is better addressed through a multi stakeholder process”.

This brings to three, the key controversies that have dodged the COVID-19 crisis in Nigeria, so far, most of it directed at the Federal Government of Nigeria which is animates nationhood in a moment of tension such as this. One of it is the nature of lockdown that might have been more sensitive and better managed. The second would be the question of innovative thinking in terms of a ‘magical’ point of departure in responding to the situation. The third is the nature of palliatives as well as the honest administration of even what exists.

The FG’s palliatives regime comes under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development which administers a palliative scheme to support vulnerable communities.

17 Communities Of FCT Not Beneficiaries Of The Palliatives Distributed By The Government – CITAD REPORT

The Centre for Information Technology and Development observes that in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, there was a directive from the Federal Government for a total lockdown of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

To this effect the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development set up a palliative scheme to support vulnerable communities.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development in collaboration with Action Aid Nigeria have been working in 19 communities of the FCT under their Local Right Program. Recent activities conducted by these organizations include public education campaign about COVID 19 in these 19 communities.

Using the public information centres the two organizations set in the 19 communities, we conducted a survey to assess where these communities have benefited from the provision of palliatives by the Government. From the survey, only two communities, PASPA, in Bwari Area Council and GAUBE in Kuje Area Council has received any form of support.

The other communities that are yet to receive any support include Gwalada, Jiwa, Jiwa tsoho, Gofidna, Tungan Ashere, TuganNasara, and Dakwa in Abuja Municipal Council; Kilankwa, LeleyiBasssa, LeleyiGwari, Pai in Kwali Area Council; Kayache and Tukpheci in Kuje Area Council; Kuchibuyi, Igu and  Guto, in Bwari Area Council.

While we note that beneficiaries are predetermined as they are people already enrolled in the conditional cash transfer of the National Cash Transfer Office, it will be curious if there are no enrollees in these communities. We call the Government to look into this situation of these vulnerable groups in these communities as we believe that like any other part of the country, these communities do have extremely poor families. We further call on government to ensure a transparent and accountable process that will ensure benefit does reach to the real intended beneficiaries. Finally, we also call on the Government to work with civil society organisations as partners in responding to the crisis as situation like the one we are now is better addressed through a multistakeholder process.

Ms. Salma Abdulwaheed
Head of Office
CITAD, Abuja

Coronavirus: Only 2 Out of 19 FCT Communities Got Palliative – CITAD, ActionAid

A survey conducted by ActionAid Nigeria and Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has revealed that only two out of the 19 poor and vulnerable communities have so far benefited from the government palliative to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on them. The revelation is contained in a statement by the two non-profit, non-government organisations published in Abuja on Tuesday.

They survey was part of a collaborative work between CITAD and ActionAid under their Local Right Program to conduct, among other activities, public education campaigns about covid-19 in communities around FCT.

According to Ms. Salma Abdulwaheed, CITAD’s head of Abuja Office who signed the statement, the two organisations noted that their findings were based on a survey carried out to identify communities that have benefited from the provision of palliatives by the government.

The survey discovered that only two communities received any form of support. The two communities include Paspa in Bwari Area Council and Gaube in Kuje Area Council.

The findings, she said, came from the public information centres set up by ActionAid and CITAD in communities around the FCT.

The other communities that are yet to receive any support include Gwalada, Jiwa, Jiwa tsoho, Gofidna, Tungan Ashere, TuganNasara, and Dakwa in Abuja Municipal Council.

Others include Kilankwa, LeleyiBasssa, LeleyiGwari, Pai in Kwali Area Council; Kayache and Tukpheci in Kuje Area Council; Kuchibuyi, Igu and Guto, in Bwari Area Council.

“While we note that beneficiaries are predetermined as they are people already enrolled in the conditional cash transfer of the National Cash Transfer Office, it will be curious if there are no enrolees in these communities.

“We call the Government to look into the situation of these vulnerable groups in these communities as we believe that like any other part of the country, these communities do have extremely poor families.

“We further call on government to ensure a transparent and accountable process that will ensure that benefits reach the real intended beneficiaries.

“Finally, we also call on the Government to work with civil society organisations as partners in responding to the crisis as a situations like the one we are in now is better addressed through a multi-stakeholder process,” the organisations counselled.

The palliatives were part of government’s response to the covid-19 outbreak by a total lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos and Ogun states.

To cushion the impact of the lockdown on poor and vulnerable communities, President Buhari in a nationwide broadcast directed the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to set up and implement a palliative scheme for targeted poor and vulnerable communities.