By Francis Sardauna
The Concerned Civil Society Organisations in Katsina State have called on the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, provide bailout funds for state governments to fight the coronavirus pandemic currently ravaging the country.
The state Chairman of the organizations, Mr. Bishir Dauda Katsina, who disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists, said the bailout funds should be given with conditions that would ensure transparency, accountability and justice.
He said: “It is unjust to give Lagos State N10 billion while denying other states of the federation.”
The chairman of the organisations explained that people’s livelihoods are being threatened as a result of the lockdown and numerous families are facing starvation, thereby sinking into abject poverty.
According to him, “The so-called palliative measure of federal government is nothing to write home about. It is discriminatory, inadequate and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs that handles the coordination and distribution of relief materials is insensitive to the loud cry of Nigerians. It is neither transparent nor accountable.
“Daura town has been under lockdown for days and yet, they have not got any succour from all the three tiers of government. This is unfortunate, we are bewildered with this indifference of government towards the suffering of the citizens.”
He, therefore, admonished the Katsina State government to provide adequate relief materials for the people of Daura and other residents of the state with immediate effect in order to cushion their hardship.
