The group also lamented the poor state of the health sector, saying there was no reason the country would have very small amount of ventilators in the hospital.
After two months of battling the outbreak of Coronavirus, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum has said the country was not prepared to combat the pandemic.
In a statement jointly signed by Chief E. K Clark, South-South; Chief Ayo Adebanjo for South-West; Chief John Nwodo, South-East; and Dr John Pogu, Middle-Belt; the group said that Nigeria was experiencing a total failure of the system, which has resulted in present state of the country.
The group also lamented the poor state of the health sector, saying there was no reason the country would have very small amount of ventilators in the hospital.
SMBLF said, "God who was kind to us, we were not prepared to confront a health challenge at the level of Coronavirus that was taking down prime ministers and kings around the world.
"It is time to recalibrate as only those who have serious challenges would now think we can return to the careless and reckless lives we were living in the past."
The group asserted that the leadership of the country can't afford to go back to the old order of central planning that kills local initiatives.
The group appealed to all Nigerians to take safety as a personal priority as the lockdown is eased.