PDP reacts to Buhari nationwide broadcast on COVID-19 pandemic

- The Peoples Democratic Party has released a statement in reaction to President Muhammadu Buhari's nationwide broadcast

- The party expressed disappointment that the president's speech did not address important issues of concerns to Nigerians

- PDP challenged the president to publish documents showing the beneficiaries of the social intervention

Nigeria's main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to President Muhammadu Buhari's nationwide broadcast concerning the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday, April 13.

The party in a statement signed by Kola Ologbondiyan, the national publicity secretary, described the speech as very disappointing.

Ologbondiyan explained that the speech just like the previous broadcast of Sunday, March 29, failed to address important issues of urgent concerns to Nigerians as they struggle daily against the spread of the disease.

The PDP spokesperson said: "He failed to give any hope on palliatives to the ordinary Nigerians as they face hunger and economic pangs of the lockdown. It is more painful that President Buhari could not address the immediate needs of the people or provide a trajectory that will take care of their future.

Nigerians expected Mr. President to directly address the established failures of his palliatives distribution, particularly the provision of funds to the poorest of the poor, which has been marred by allegations of corruption and diversion of funds. This is in addition to allegations of diversion of rice and other food items meant for the poor masses."

According to the opposition party, Buhari announcing the expansion of the palliative scope to 3.6 million households without addressing the failure of the scheme is an encouragement of the corrupt system.

Nonetheless, PDP challenges the president to publish documents showing the beneficiaries of the social intervention that has been claimed by 2.6 million household as well as the parameters that will be deployed for the additional one million households.

The opposition party charged President Buhari to quickly adopt an all-encompassing model that will take care of the hunger and deprivations the lockdown has imposed on Nigerians and then address the people again accordingly.

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Legit.ng previously reported that the PDP alleged that officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government are using the deadly COVID-19 pandemic as a gateway for corrupt profiteering and looting of the nation's treasury.

The party made the allegation in a statement sent to journalists on Saturday, April 11, by its spokesman, Kola Ologbodiyan.

The opposition party lamented that “allegations of diversion of billions of naira meant for palliatives to vulnerable citizens is already frustrating the commitment by Nigerians and other well-meaning groups in the overall effort to combat the spread of the scourge in our country.”

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Source: Legit.ng