COVID-19: Lockdown not working – PRP says ahead of Buhari’s nationwide address 

The Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, has warned that the continued lockdowns being ordered by both the Federal and States Governments in Nigeria would not be the solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was contained in a statement sent to DAILY POST on Monday signed by Alhaji Falalu Bello, National Chairman of the party.

The party noted that the continuous increase in cases of the infections being recorded even with the lockdown in place shows that the measure has not prevented community spread of the deadly virus.

The political party further called on the government to ensure that testing kits for the viral disease are available to all Nigerians, provide and distribute palliatives fairly and put a meaningful exit strategy in place.

“PRP would want to again say that the continued lockdowns being ordered by Governments in Nigeria are not and would not in themselves be solutions to the Covid-19 pandemic,” the statement said.

“Even in the Western world where we copied the lockdown strategy from, with all their sophistication and resources, they use lockdowns alongside other strategies to achieve results.

“The continuous increase in the COVID-19 infections since lockdowns were ordered by some governments shows that lockdowns have not prevented community infections.

“The increase in infections despite the lockdowns should inform our policymakers that lockdowns with attendant economic costs, are not working and need serious re-examination.

“Social distancing which lockdowns bring in the Western societies as well as elite settlements like Ikoyi Lagos, Ungwan Rimi Kaduna, Asokoro Abuja, as we have said earlier, will not work in our towns and cities where over 90% of Nigerian population live.

“In such settings, tens of families stay in ‘face me I face you’ rooms with one or two toilets and at times no running water. That is our reality which informed our stand in earlier press engagements.

“Notwithstanding the futility of lockdowns as a solution to COVID-19 pandemic as opined by the PRP and some informed commentators, our Governments and policymakers are still insisting on that policy with greater draconian enforcement rules as we saw recently.

The PRP said it finds it necessary to still speak and suggest measures that could help ameliorate the hardship that the ordinary people in Nigeria are being put into.

“Finally, we urge that our three views be taken into account in rewriting the COVID-19 pandemic strategy which needs urgent rewriting for the benefit of Nigerian and in the interest of the Nigerian economy.

“As for providing sustenance to those locked up, we demand such or else we will meet in Court with all those tyrants that lock our citizens up without sustenance,” the party’s statement said.

President Buhari is billed to address the nation today where he is expected to announce a nationwide two weeks lockdown.