Civil rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has described as a “mass suicidal” tendency the Federal Government’s deliberate failure to take concrete actions to stave off and contain the spread of the Corona virus in the country.

The rights group lamented the lack of political will power and the right leadership at both national and subnational levels in Nigeria to mobilise Nigerians and enlighten them along the lines of what they are supposed to do in the current severe medical emergency created by the emergence of COVID-19.

Besides, HURIWA has asked the civil rights community and Nigerians of means to institute fundamental rights enforcement processes against the Federal Government at the Federal High Courts to obtain declaratory orders mandating President Muhammadu Buhari to personally address the nation, close the land borders and impose strict travel bans for people coming in from jurisdictions with unprecedented cases of the new pandemic.

The rights group said Tuesday in a statement issued in Abuja: “The right to life is sacrosanct and inalienable but it is one of the first generation rights that cannot be recovered the moment the citizen is dead. This is the time to use all lawful means to force President Buhari to embrace responsible, responsive and receptive political approach to confront the biggest health emergency the world has seen in the last 100 years.

“We totally condemn the poor attitudes of the Federal Government, President Buhari particularly and the painful nonchalant tendencies of virtually all the key Federal and State Government officials who are behaving as if they are paid to allow the Coronavirus to become widespread in the country before any concrete measures can be adopted. This attitude is at best the type you see in persons who are bent on embarking on ‘mass suicides’.

HURIWA wondered why the Federal Government insisted on allowing all kinds of travels into Nigeria even from nations where the unfortunate pandemic is more widespread?

“Why take such insensitive, reckless and irrational step when even developed societies with the best of technologies and medical facilities in Europe, America, and Australia have imposed one type of restrictions on travels or the other? This is outrageous and outrightly despicable.

“As a matter of fact, it is a manifestation of a lack of leadership that till now, the President has not thought it wise to personally address Nigeria. This is scandalous. Nations like Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Ghana, and Senegal amongst others have had their presidents actively take the driving seats in the fight against Coronavirus but in Nigeria it is as if we are political orphans.

“The Nigerian President may have to be compelled by court orders to speak to Nigerians

“The Federal Government says it has no plans to impose travel restrictions on visitors from countries where Coronavirus continues to spread rapidly. This piece of information, as far as HURIWA is concerned, is insanely irrational to have been made by our government at this perilous time of coronavirus.

“HURIWA believes that the decision by Nigeria to casually screen visitors entering the country from China (where the disease originated last year), Japan, Iran, Italy, Germany, France, South Korea and Spain is a national scandal and a monumental disgrace. This current suicidal government must be called to order immediately. Nigerians must speak out so we are not led astray by a rudderless government.

“Is Mr President unaware that South Africa has barred some foreigners from entering and will close schools; EU states including, Germany, Austria and France, are among the latest to announce radical actions to curb the spread of the virus; against all but essential travel to Spain after the government there announced emergency restrictions. The Foreign Office has issued the same advice for the United States of America, effective from Tuesday morning, after President Donald Trump decided to extend a European travel ban to include the UK.

“Is President Muhammadu Buhari not aware of all these strong decisions taken by civilised societies?”

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