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Group Condemns Nigerian Government For Copying Foreign Solutions To COVID-19

The group said Nigeria's lack of innovation had pushed it to rely on imported solutions instead of setting the pace like other African countries are doing.

The Coalition of Oodua Self-determination Group has berated the response of the Nigerian Government to the Coronavirus pandemic, describing it as a copy and paste approach.

The group said Nigeria's lack of innovation had pushed it to rely on imported solutions instead of setting the pace like other African countries are doing.

In a statement by Convener of COSEG, Comrade Rasaq Olokoba, Secretary-General, Akin Abosanyin, and Political Secretary, Wale Balogun, on Tuesday, the group said most of the policies currently implemented were anti-people.

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The statement reads, "The COSEG leadership has extensively reviewed and analysed the progress so far. While acknowledging the efforts of the various tiers of government, we’re not unwary of the huge gaps in the management of the crisis in Nigeria most especially as it affects the South-West.

"Lagos was exposed and unprotected to the ravaging disease as a gateway and frontier for international flights, land borders and sea cargo activities. Her strategic location, cosmopolitan nature, and commercial centre for the country and West African sub-region endangered her for the huge transmission of the deadly diseases.

"The management of the pandemic by the Federal Government is no doubt a clear indication of a planless country. Just like in all spheres of our national life where the Nigerian ruling elites have outsourced data collection and planning to foreign interests, we observed the current copy and paste solutions for the management of COVID-19 will not work because of the peculiarities of our social system.

"Our sister country, Senegal, has gone ahead to develop local testing kits and ventilators at extremely low costs. For example, the test kits is just at $1 while the ventilator goes for $60 compared to the foreign price of $1,600.

"The shortcomings of the Senegalese experiment notwithstanding, to us is a right step in the right direction towards total liberation of Africa from the claws of foreign interests especially the mindless Chinese.

"The COSEG demands transparency in this campaign; we urge the Federal Government to liaise with human rights groups, community-based associations and anti-corruption civil society organisations to monitor and question how the palliatives are being managed."

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH