COVID-19: NACCIMA Seeks Lockdown Order Review
The Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) says it has become necessary to review the near one-month old lockdown order and replace it with a more strategic approach favourable to the economy.
The Director-General of NACCIMA, Amb Ayoola Olukanni, gave the advice in a statement on Saturday in Lagos.
Olukanni, lauding the efforts of the various levels of government at curtailing the spread of the Coronavirus and providing palliatives for the less privileged, said the continued lockdown is taking its toll on businesses across the country.
“First, we commend the Federal and State governments for their determined efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 across the nation, using various strategies such as campaigns on social distancing, and adherence to health prescriptions such as sanitising and washing of hands.
“We also note that lockdowns which has been in use, was also designed to stop the spread, especially in a place like Lagos which was one of the epicenters of the virus.
“We also commend the efforts of various organisations to provide palliatives to the less privileged.
“Members of NACCIMA across the country have indeed been making donations in kind and cash across the country to relevant groups and institutions.
“This is a reflection of commitment of NACCIMA and its members to play its role in the fight against the deadly virus and its various negative economic and social impacts.
“While we understand the reasons for the lockdown which has been on for almost a month; it has become necessary to review the lockdown order and replace it with a more strategic approach for various reasons.
“The continued lockdown is taking a serious toll on businesses across the country and ripple effects on security is becoming alarming; especially as miscreants seized the opportunity to rob citizens and break into business premises.
“Consideration should be given to gradual opening of some businesses and other commercial operations,” he said.
According to him, steps should be taken to allow some categories of workers to resume work and business operations while keeping to safety.
“Protocols, such as wearing of face masks, social distancing ban on large gatherings and increased use of testing to identify those who may have been affected and requiring isolation and treatment.
“Certainly a lockdown order ad-infinitum is not sustainable and many of our members are of the view that this should be reviewed to ease the lockdown,” he said.
For the state governors, it is time for President Muhammadu Buhari to relax the lockdown that has been in place in parts of the country in the last month.
They advised the president to impose inter-state restriction but allow intra-state movement. They also recommended continued restriction on large gatherings and compulsory use of face masks in public places.
The call is coming as the nation expects further action from Buhari as a four-week lockdown imposed on Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states by the president ends on Monday.
Several governors have also declared lockdowns in their respective states.
Their recommendations are contained in an April 24 memo to the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha.
The letter was signed by the Ekiti State governor and chairman of the Governors’ Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
Fayemi said the memo followed a teleconference meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on April 22, where governors were asked to suggest what they want reflected in the expected presidential pronouncement, to have a coordinated response across the country.
“Recall at that meeting, it was agreed that the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) articulates the issues that it would want to be included in the next Presidential Pronouncement on Covid-19 so as to have a Uniform and Coordinated Policy on Covid-19 at both the national and sub-national levels,” he wrote.
The governors called for nationwide inter-state lockdown that excludes movement of essential supplies — foods, beverages, medical and pharmaceuticals, petroleum supplies and agricultural products.
They also recommended internal free movement but with restrictions on large gatherings and assemblies overnight curfews, lockdown of flights, and compulsory use of face masks/coverings in the public.
The Forum had, during its virtual meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, called for the decentralisation of the activities of the COVID-19 response from Federal to local governments to curtail further spread.
After a month under lockdown, many Nigerians have advised against extending total restriction to minimize suffering.
(EYEWITNESS)
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