The senator representing Oyo Central senatorial district, Senator Teslim Folarin, Tuesday the raised the alarm that Nigeria is presently playing too much politics with the coronavirus pandemic.
Senator Folarin, who raised the concern in Ibadan while answering questions on Fresh FM, 105.9, phone in live programme, “COVID-19 situation room” expressed displeasure at the federal government’s plans to relax the COVID-19 lockdown on Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states, from next week Monday.
The former Senate Leader pointed out that with the increase in the cases of coronavirus positive patients across the country, there was no basis for the federal government to contemplate relaxing the lockdown for now.
“We are playing too much politics with the coronavirus .issue in Nigeria. This is an unseen enemy; we should take the right step. The whole country should have been locked down in the first two week, by now, we should have been seen the positive result it is not only FCT Lagos and Ogun states thst ought to have been locked down in the first instance,” he said.
He blamed the federal government decision to relax the lockdown as from next week to pressures mounted on President Muhammadu Buhari by the state governors that the Federal government should come to their rescue in view of the near collapse of economy in their respective states.
“I was disappointed with the position of the president in his speech. It is a political decision; the governors don’t want to spend money. They want the president to give them money, they mount pressure on him.”
Senator Folarin lamented that considering the situation in most parts of the country concerning spread of coronavirus, the decision to lift the lockdown “stands against all logics”.
The senator stressed that the federal government will still continue to monitor on daily basis the COVID-19 situation in and across the country, “look at the figure on daily basis and by Monday, if there is still an increase, we will have to go into another lockdown”.
On Oyo state, the Senator frowned at the decision of Governor Seyi Makinde asking civil servants on grade levels 13 and above in the state to resume work since Monday, this week.
According to Senator Folarin, Governor Makinde’s decision was “very dangerous and irresponsible”.
