TheCable

The Coalition for Revolution (CORE), organisers of the #RevolutionNow Movement is embarking on a protest against the lockdown.

In efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, President Muhammadu Buhari had locked down the federal capital territory (FCT), Lagos and Ogun on March 30. He later extended the restriction of movement by two weeks.

Some other governors had also locked down their states. 

But in a statement, Baba Aye, co-convener of CORE, accused the government of ordering lockdown without provision of palliatives. 

He said based on this,  #PansPotsProtests will start by noon on  Saturday and would run through to May 2 with people hitting their “empty pots and pans sounding to the world the hunger and hardships”.

With the protest, CORE is demanding: 

• No palliatives, no lockdown corporation 
• #FreeStandardHealthCareAtAllLevels
• No To naira devaluation
• Diversify the economy. Stop the dependence on oil and services sectors
•  End police and military brutality now; democratic solutions to all insecurity issues
• N100,000 cost of living allowances (COLA) for all adult Nigerians
•  Cost of study allowance (COSA) of N100,000 for all students in tertiary institutions
•  Pay at least N150,000 hazard allowances to all health workers now!
• An end to the system of greed and power

The group said the ruling class refused to give advance and standard healthcare that could withstand the tests of time at this period. 

“Nigeria has only allocated about 5% to such an important sector since the Buhari/APC government. Medical tourism to Wellington and St.Nicholas abroad is the preferred choice to the rich few. Healthcare workers are paid just #5,000 as hazard allowance showing the very poor level disdain with which the rulers treat healthcare,” the statement read. 

“Most doctors and nurses have gone abroad in one of the most ridiculous brain drains. It is clear that the Nigerian ruling class is not interested in changing for the better despite the evil effects of the pandemic so far. Working people have to take their destinies into their hands by standing up and demanding unequivocally for #FreeStandardHealthCareForAll!

“Whereas as the first index case stormed Nigeria, the ruling class was supposed to have nipped the pandemic in the bud by closing and mounting the border medically so that all those who come in get quarantined and isolated for fourteen (14) days as prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO). But alas, the members of the ruling class hurriedly jettisoned health protocols; junketing from parties to meetings, spreading the virus as a result. The disdain and arrogance with which leaders treat the populace is characteristically embedded in the current crises.”