COVID-19: Residents Call For Equal Distribution of Palliatives, Reject 2-Month Electricity/Water Waiver Bill In C’River

By Ita Williams

Calabar

Some residents Cross River in swift reactions have rejected the decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria control by the President Muhammadu Buhari to waive out 2-month electricity/water bill to caution the effect of COVID-19, saying it is not the electric bill of N600 2-month or N50-N100 a day water rate that would go a long way to solve their poverty problems at the moment.

According to them 90% of Cross River Residents depends solely on personal generator to generate light and borehole water of N50-N100 a day respectively.

They said: “Why would government pay for what they have not use? the water board is not running, the electricity generation in some days could only be seen 4-5 hours a day, in some streets no electricity at all for months or years even after paying for the  bills” Government should think inside the box” and commence equal distribution of palliatives to every Nigerians” said by Mr. Okoi Ofem Nyang, a former class room teacher.

“Majority of Nigerians goes to bed with empty stomach on daily bases, not only the aged and the vulnerable that are hungry. Not only in Abuja, Lagos or Ogun state that you can locate the hungry Nigerians, there are hungry people everywhere, from Edo state to Anambra  State, from Akwa Ibom state to Katsina there are hungry Nigerians, so for government to say they are only in Lagos or Abuja they are not being fair to Nigerians, or to say they are in some parts of the country they are not being specific and accountable to Nigerians”

Every citizens walking anywhere in Nigeria is a potential suspects of COVID-19 symptoms carrier not only in the two states and the FTC were the palliatives is being channel to” according to Mr Bassey Effiom, a street vendor.

A man who spoke on condition of  anonymity, Saying “My take on this issue of 2-month bills being waived by government is nothing to me,  what I want to say is that let the National Assembly abrogate or make laws on what is important to Nigerians, how Nigerians should relate together or live together in harmony with one another. It is a deceit to say that Nigerians are together.

The problem of Nigeria is that they are living on a deceit principle. I cannot say electric/water bill can solve Nigerians lingering problem for now. That is not the problem; our problem is that our leaders are not telling us the truth on what Nigeria is. Look at the whole system? The whole system is in a mess. Our constitution is not working. Amendment of constitution is not the problem. The problem is execution of the principle of constitution. Which translate to sharing of everything to be equal among all Nigerians

We hear about the rule of law here and there, equality before the law, all those things are here say” We hear it by saying we don’t know where we will practice it. So to me Nigeria is a failed state and like a sheep moving to no direction and nobody knows where we are going. Our government stood up against COVID-19 because it is not only sickness for the common man rather we are made to understand that it is the sickness imported by those who traveled to Overseas.

Even upon that they cannot even tell us the truth,  they say it is only in Ogun, Lagos state and FTC that are experiencing luck-down so they share the so call palliatives to people in those places alone,  whereas there are lockdown. And COVID-19 cases are being reported basically in many parts of the country everyday.

Upon all the billions and millions of naira donated by Cooperates companies and individuals to the government to caution the effect of the dreaded Coronavirus pandemic in the country.

The question is,  Where are the Billions and Millions of Naira donated sofar for this purpose. By now testing centers and Isolation centres suppose to be built in every nicks and crannies of this country.

Yet it is the same old story “We are trying” A few days ago official from, National Centre for Disease Control,  NCDC was quoted as saying, “Some cases are discharged without any intervention. So on sharing of palliatives to the FTC, Lagos and Ogun state residents alone I want to say government knows exactly what to do and don’t want to do it.

They know how to channel money and food items to reach every Nigerians during this luckdown and they don’t want to do the right thing. They only being selfish and greed” Therefore to say that Nigeria is a failed state I am not making any mistake”

Isaac Ade Adeola is a treader,  residing in Calabar, on his part he stressed that,  “Government should reach out to all the vulnerable people in the country, they are everywhere,  they should provide  palliatives to them to caution the effect of the lockdown against COVID-19.Those who are not vulnerable are hungry also, they are crying, that they don’t have any food on their table at this lockdown. Therefore government should reach out to them and share whatsoever that is available equally to everyone”

When you tell the people to lockdown and you don’t give them food, hunger will set in and that could be worst than Coronavirus disease itself”.

Kingsley Effiong, a chemist on his opinion said: “Some families are doing businesses that they feed from daily and now their business has been lockdown. Thus, as a citizen of this country I feel bad and I think it is not proper. The waiving of the water and electric bills is not the issue. Government should fashioned another way of providing social benefits to help the people of this country to contain the effect of lockdown. Just as American government did by paying One Thousand Dollars, $1000, for each American citizen which is about Four Hundred Thousand One Hundred Naira, N400,100, which could carry an American for a whole one month during the lockdown. I think Nigeria government should borrow this idea to help Nigeria people think less during this lockdown.

If you stop using electricity you can still live. But you cannot stop from eating,  that could result to dead. So if you say you want to waive out 2-month electricity and water bill that is about Two Thousand Five Hundred Naira, N2500 that will mean nothing to the man who is hungry. So government should think well and do the needful for the people”