By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, said on Wednesday that for Nigeria to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, the national leadership must overcome the ‘groupthink syndrome’ that is driving the national response.

He maintained that the central minds of government cannot handle it all alone, saying: “By working on the problem in isolation, the Federal Government risks losing sight of the bigger, more pressing nation-wide issues.”

He stressed that lockdown is stoking hunger and anger, and urged the Federal government to embrace outside notions that contemplate solutions outside established governance modes and codes.

According to Obaze, the six geopolitical zones need to coalesce in addressing economic impact of Covid-19, which he noted, could have been abated.

The retired United Nations Diplomat wondered if federal palliative funds have been properly and expeditiously disbursed by zones and states to all and sundry.

He added, "Since such funds would go essentially to food, medicine and prophylactics, the economy will continue to bubble.

“This approach would also ameliorate hunger-driven rise in banditry, rascality and civil disobedience.”

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