The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to distribute hand sanitizers, face masks and bags of rice to Nigerians, as a means of containing the spread Coronavirus.
The AYCF President-General, Yerima Shettima, made this call while reacting to the stay-at-home and social distancing order by government due the coronavirus pandemic.
According to him, the government should produce hand sanitizers, masks and distribute them from house to house across the country, including bags of rice.
Shettima stressed that it’s impossible to isolate Nigerians without giving them what to eat because some people will prefer to come out and die on the street while looking for their livelihood than stay indoors.
“What are the proactive measures? If the government can’t give incentives to Nigerians, at least they should be able to produce some of those sanitary things like sanitizers, masks and so on and share from house-to-house,” Shettima said.
“They should also share this their local rice which they have been using as propaganda, give each house one bag to show concern. How many are we in this country that they can’t afford to give each family a bag or two bags of rice?
“So where lies the hope of the common man? What has the government done to help the common people.
“Be rest assured that if Nigerians stay at home for a few days and can’t feed themselves well, they would undermine the effect of Coronavirus and return to the street because they can’t stand it. People will prefer to come out and die on the street while looking for their livelihood than stay indoors.
“So no matter how the government thinks it’s going to restrict movement, it will be so impossible in this country because people are already suffering and dying of hunger.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had confirmed the first death from coronavirus in the country, with 46 total cases spread across seven states and the federal capital territory (FCT).
