Huriwa To Buhari-: Sack Boss Mustapha Now, Apologies Not Enough For Lawlessness:

By Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA)m

The Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy group-: HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack forthwith the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force(PTF) on Covid-19 from that special intervention platform (PTF) and to compel him and other members of the committee who violated the NCDC's protocols on burial of dead bodies from COVID-19 AILMENT by attending the burial of the late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari Mallam Abba Kari without observing social distancing rules to self quarantine and to subject themselves to the prosecutorial powers of the mobile courts in Abuja handling cases of violations of the LOCKDOWN order by the Federal government.

HURIWA said the apologies tendered by the discredited Chairman of the PTF Mr. Boss Mustapha was insufficient to atone for the gross misjudgement and the flagrant breach of the fundamental law guiding the declaration of lockdown in Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari as a way of containing the spread of the CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA just as the Rights group said allowing the Chairman to continue to preside over the strategic task force on CONVID-19 will pass the impression to millions of people around the World that Nigeria is a Country of two laws- one for the commoners and the others for the ruling elite who are apparently above the law. The Rights group said it will be a complete manifestation of tolerance for lawlessness should no action be adopted to penalize Boss Mustapha as well as the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the President Mr. Garba Shehu.

HURIWA in a statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf said that it was disgraceful and an unmitigated insult on our collective national psyche for Mr. Boss Mustapha to boldly flout the established protocols made by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and thereby putting the lives of the rest of the public in Abuja at grave risks of contracting the severe flu virus which has no known cure at the time being and to have the temerity to still attend the National briefing session of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 in the nation's capital.

"It is unimaginable that in this same Abuja the seat of political power of Nigeria and the custodian of the central law making organ for the entire nation that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation who should show good example is the person that led some other members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to abuse and disobey clearly established laws and regulations meant to keep Nigeria safe but he is being treated as a SACRED COW whereas hundreds of poor residents of Abuja and Lagos such as Jenifer Akindele who committed same infractions of violating the Social distancing rules were prosecuted and convicted."

HURIWA maintained also: "We must never create the impression that some persons are bigger than the law. It is in that frame of mind that we believe that the right cause of action is for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and other members to honourable quit the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and present themselves to the mobile Court in Abuja to be prosecuted for the offences of violating the Social distancing rules just like all other Nigerian Citizens who have been so prosecuted. He has to exit the PTF or be sacked by the President. In other civilised climes such a person would even be sacked from his political position. But we are not going as far as demanding that he be dismissed from the position of the SGF because he is the only CHRISTIAN holding a strategic national positions under a highly sectional administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. But we are recommending his sack from the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 ".

HURIWA quoted Boss Mustapha as tendering apologies thus: "The burial of the late Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, on 18 April 2020, has attracted a lot of concerns from Nigerians over the

non-adherence to the physical distancing measures and mass gathering

restrictions at the Gudu Cemetery.
The nonobservance of physical distancing and the flouting of mass gathering restrictions at the cemetery were due to the failure of

crowd control measures.
We acknowledge that mistakes were made, we have learnt from these mistakes and would ensure that future events are adequately regulated in accordance with the Presidential Task Force and the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) protocols."

HURIWA however dismissed the hurriedly packaged apologies from Boss Mustapha as too little too late and in any event the Rights group said there was no better way of telling Nigerians that the current administration tolerates impunity and disregard for the laws than to allow the discredited Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 Mr. Boss Mustapha as well as other members who flouted the protocols to remain on THEIR seats as members of a body (PTF) driving the process of implementing a national response to the rampaging Covid-19 disease. " We must demolish this mountain of hypocrisy being erected by the Federal government and we must insists that the laws, Rules and regulations must be respected by all and sundry because the Rule of law is paramount and nobody is above the law.