COVID 19: FG should intensify effort for urgent releases of Palliatives to reduce tensions : Youth Body

The President of the Nigerian Youth Congress, Blessing Akinlosotu have called on the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Presidential Task Force on COVID 19 to intensify more efforts and make sure that the palliatives for the vulnerable Nigerians be make available and distributed quickly before the lockdown will turn to violence on some State of the Federation.

In a statement he personally signed and made available to The Nigerian Voice, he said the next 14 days of the lockdown will not go well with many vulnerable Nigerians who does not have any hope of survival during the period.

The Youth President advised the state governments to immediately release the palliatives they have into the society with every sense of urgency for the benefit of vulnerable Nigerians before they revolt against the government as he believes that many are already exhausted in cash and food supply during the first 14days.

Most of the young persons in Lagos, Ogun, Abuja and many states of the Federation are already feeling and bearing the brunt of the lockdown. This is because they don’t have any other means of feeding that can sustain them for the next 14days of the lockdown, as declared by President Muhammadu Buhari in his National Broadcast to the citizens of Nigeria.

In his words, he said "I am using this medium to call on the Local, State, and Federal government to intensify every efforts to make sure the palliatives are distributed with every sense of urgency, so as to forestall a pending disaster where the youths will want to resist the further stay at home order because of hunger and lack of resources."

Akinlosotu said governments at every level should not play politics with these palliatives, as he expects the government to make sure they roll out all the materials with urgency with any political bias or sentiment. If they make further delay to look into the plight of the youths of this country, it can lead to anarchy and riots that will further worsen the situation.

Those who are saddled with the responsibilities of distributing the palliatives should show capacity and recruit more hands for proper and fast distribution of the palliatives to Nigerians.