Atiku pledges ₦50million relief fund for COVID-19: Urges Buhari to give ₦10,000 to all Nigerians

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in a statement posted on his offiial facebook page on March 25th urged the Federal Government to provide palliative packages for Nigerians in regards to the coronavirus pandemic.

To this end, he recommended that the Federal Government should pay the sum of ₦10,000 to all Nigerians as a support during this perilous times of isolation and lockdown.

To set the ball rolling, Atiku pledged the sum of ₦50million as a stimulus towards the welfare package through the Priam Group.

He also applauded the State Governments for their proactive measures concerning the pandemic. The actions for which he commended them include the stay at home orders and shutting down of non-essential markets.

Atiku further urged the telecommunication companies in Nigeria to give free credit worth at minimum, ₦1500 per mobile line user. This is to assist Nigerians who show symptoms, or others who need information so that they can call the nearest available medical facility.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and President Muhammed Buhari

Below is Atiku's full statement:

• As the coronavirus pandemic ravages the world, I applaud the various Nigerian state governments who have proactively taken measures, such as issuing stay at home orders, and shutting down non-essential markets and other places of mass gatherings, while also giving guidelines for social distancing.
• However, we must accept the fact that much of the Nigerian public have a subsistence existence. A large percentage of our people do not have the financial capacity to withstand long periods of self-isolation and even lockdown. It is, therefore, incumbent on the Federal and state governments to provide palliatives to the Nigerian people to enable them to survive, even as they abide by these necessary measures put in place for their safety.
• At an approximate 30 million households or thereabouts, the government should devise modalities to distribute ₦10,000 as a supplement for foodstuff to each household, among other palliative measures, with no one left behind.
• It is thus time for the National Assembly to reconvene in an emergency session, perhaps by teleconference (in line with the demands of social distancing), to legislate a Stimulus Package Act that will cater for all Nigerian citizens.
• I also call on all Mobile Telephony Companies in Nigeria to urgently develop mobile money platforms so that the government can reach the unbanked with financial assistance. I also urge these telecommunications firms to offer each of the 100 million mobile phone lines in Nigeria free credit of at least ₦1500 per mobile line, so that Nigerians who show symptoms, or those who just want information, can call the nearest available health facility, or even an ambulance service, as the case may be.
• I commend all individuals and corporate organisations who have one way or the other provided some form of relief for the Nigerian people. In essence, this is what makes Nigeria great, when we help each other at such crisis times as this, irrespective of any differences. I further call on more corporations and individuals with capacity, to assist the public in these trying times.
• To this end, Priam Group pledges ₦50 million on my behalf as my humble contribution to a relief Fund that will form part of the stimulus package.

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