The Federal Government of Nigeria has been urged to make open the amount of money it received from international donor agencies, individuals and organisations locally and internationally during this Covid-19 pandemic As donations to federal government hit N29 billion..
The Human Rights, Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE), said this has become necessary in order to demonstrate in clear terms President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption policy.
In a statement signed by HURIDE’s chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Dede Uzor A Uzor, the rights group said that the openness in the donation received by the Federal Government has become imperative in the light of the inferno that burnt the Accountant General’s office in Abuja, where it was believed that the fire has connection with Covid-19.
In the same vein the group asked the State Governors to make open the amount they have received so far in their respective States and how they spent the fund and commended the River State Governor for paying its unemployed citizens the sum of N35,000. He urged other state governors to emulate the good steps taken by the River State governor.
“This accountability is important so that the people will regain confidence in Governments which they have lost hope in our leaders.
HURIDE also charged both the Federal and State Governments to strive to cushion the effect of the Lockdown on the citizens, saying that a lot of people have complained of hunger, suffering and poverty this period.
They said ” somebody was said to have committed suicide because hunger and suffering of this period have become unbearable.
In many states of the Federation, they said there has been upsurge in crime and other unethical practices as a result of hunger.
“In other states citizens have staged demonstration against shutting down without commensurate stimulus packages ” the group said.
The group said Governments can suspend payment of rents, electricity bills, relax the imposition of levies, suspension of payment of increased Value Added Tax (VAT) among other measures.
The human right body asked both Federal and State Governments as well as private sector to pay their workers as at when due at this lockdown period.
They decried a situation where employers of labour insist on no work, no pay, saying these kind of employees should be checkmated.
The group lamented the excesses of security operatives who have killed more Nigerians than the pandemic itself.
They called for immediate arrest and formal charges be pressed on the Policemen involved in the despicable killing of defenceless and unarmed youths and bring to book those who attacked police with harmful chemicals suspected to be acid while on official duty.
