PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY(PDP).PLATEAU STATE CHAPTER. 20/2 YAKUBU GOWN WAY OPP NTA JOS.

PRESS STATEMENT.

Saturday 25th April 2020.

The leadership of the people’s Democratic party,(PDP) plateau state chapter under the leadership of Hon Yakubu Gwott Chocho has keenly scrutinized the response of government towards the COVID -19 Pandemic and after our independent monitoring as critical stakeholders in the affairs of the state,couple with the seriousness of the threat to lives, the Plateau chapter of the people’s Democratic party (PDP) will not go into blame game:

However, considering the sensitivity of this scourge and our concern because of this one(1)confirmed case and the level at which the spread is fast on the increase in other states, the state government needs to be more proactive in its efforts to curb it’s spread in the state. It shouldn’t be treated with knee jerk response as it used to be doing.

The government needs to step up to its weak response towards the testing capacity and other facilities ,and be more proactive with the provision of adequate equipments and health personnels like what other serious states are doing such as Ogun, Lagos,Rivers, Oyo, Edo and Cross River and Benue, It is a known fact that plateau is a state that is in dire need of serious improvement on its health care delivery.

We are saddened today at what took place in some parts of Jos municipal. Governor Lalong had promised to give palliatives to the people by today Saturday 25th of April 2020 during his broadcast to the people, his failure to keep to this promise has again proven to his failed leadership,with this total display of lack of touch with reality , he has again failed to address the issue of palliatives to the people leading to mass protest today. It is more painful that government could not address the immediate needs of its people in the face of these challenges inline with the primary purpose of Governance which is the welfare and health of its citizens.

There is no higher calling of any responsible Government than the health, welfare and security of its Citizens.As a party we weep as the month of April draws to an end and there is no provision of adequate trajectory from the Government that will take care of the people’s future in the face of these Challenges.

Today, even business owners are facing difficulties on how they will meet their wage bill demands when they haven’t done any business during this lockdown period in order to make their Utility payments such as: Electricity, water -telephone and even rents.With these,it is quite obvious that there was, and there is up to this moment no mention of plans to either assist, subsidize, or intervene in one way or the other by the state Government.

As at today there are allegations of diversion of funds meant for Palliatives for the citizens across the state which is why the people are frustrated & it took them to the streets. Also this explains why well- meaning groups and individuals are reluctant in contributing towards combating this horrible virus.

Therefore, we demand that the APC administration should with immediate effect come out and declare to the public how much it has budgeted for this COVID -19 fight and how much it has received so far from donor’s towards this course for the people to know, since the APC is reputed to be haven of corruption. It is on this note that we are cautioning the officials to stop using the deadly COVID-19 for corrupt profiteering and fleecing of state treasury.

We therefore advice the Government to govern inline with the principles of governance by doing the needful holistically in managing this scourge with a collective approach and not selective approach as we are about to witness through list of names as beneficiaries of this palliatives compiled by appointed councillors of APC at the local government level on government directives. We wish to remind APC that covid 19,poverty etc does not have any political coloration so also palliative shouldn’t have.

Lastly to us as a people, preventing and protecting ourselves from this dreaded virus remains our collective effort by observing and adhering strictly to the hygienic guides and social distancing order.

Signed….

John T Akans, ksm,FICA, JP
State publicity secretary (PDP) Plateau state.

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COVID-19: Plateau PDP Call on Plateau Govt to be More Proactive and Holistic in Addressing Scourge