A'Ibom Lockdown Follows No Due Process - Human Rights

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By UbongAbasi Ise

The continuous stay-at-home order issued by the Akwa Ibom State government and its consequences on the residents of the state has become a major worry for the Foundation for Civic Education, Human Rights, and Development Advancement, FoCEHRaDA.

In a press statement released recently to the media by its Executive Director, Barr. Clifford Thomas, FoCEHRaDA said the announcement of the sit-at-home directives in the state  neglected basic steps required before and within the lockdown.
The rights group noted that before the pronouncement of lockdown, the distribution of essential commodities and other welfare packages to Akwa Ibom residents could have been achieved through same strategies adopted by Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHED, and the National Population Commission, NPC, in enumerating buildings.
"In Akwa Ibom State, the announcement of the lockdown directives did not take the necessary consequences thereon into consideration. Principal among other considerations is, the provision of food and other welfare packages. Steps required before and within the lockdown.
"Provision and the distribution of food to residents (not indigenes) of the State. All residents of the state make valid contributions to the socio-economic and political space of the Akwa Ibom State society. The manner and method of such distribution of essential commodities and necessaries which should be called AID or ASSISTANCE, and not necessarily PALLIATIVES, should have reflected a house-to-house identification of residents in all the 31 local government areas. The strategy used by the PHED to enumerate buildings, or the one used by the National Population Commission (NPC), would have sufficed. This should have been done two weeks before the pronouncement of the lockdown. And the distribution of food essentials commenced a day into the lockdown order," the statement reads.
The human rights body described as 'unimaginable wickedness' a situation where whole communities with thousands of residents got only two bags of 2kg rice, half bag of garri, half bag of beans and no bag of flours.
It  questioned the strategies used in identifying the beneficiaries of the relief materials, suggesting that the state government should have sold the commodities at 50% of the procurement price in the open market.
"There is a compelling need for transparency. How many communities were covered? What is the population size of those communities? How many households are in each of the communities? What is the demographics in the communities? What is the demographics of the poorest of the poor, and what strategies were used in arriving at the figures and spread?
"Why did the government not sell the commodities at 50% of the procurement price in the open markets on a day that is allowed for this purpose. A 50kg of rice sold at N18,000 or N17,000 procurement price, could be sold for N8,500 minimum. The prices would be regulated and executed by an Essential Commodities Committee headed by possibly, the Commissioner for Agriculture. The Essential Commodities Committee is a multi-sectorial entity that responds particularly to the food and essential commodities requirement of the people," said FoCEHuRaDA. 
 The human rights body said the idea of the lockdown which appears to be a negation of certain provisions of the fundamental rights provisions of Chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Federation Republic of Nigeria, particularly sections 38, 40 and 41; would appear justified by the provisions of section 45 (1) of the Constitution, adding that "there was no positive pronouncement from the President that section 305 of the Constitution had been invoked, leaving reasoning sprawling on the altar of necessity."
FoCEHRaDA says it is necessary for state government to involve media professionals with the requisite information management capacities. According to the group, "involving the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Akwa Ibom State Council, the Correspondents Chapel, the local media, emerging media (social media), electronic media (especially private radio stations in the state) is necessary in the information disseminating."
The human rights body suggested that the lockdown should be reviewed to become more flexible and relaxed, and that the regime of the Covid-19 preventive protocols must be enhanced and strictly adhered to, noting that the non-relaxation or refusal to make the policy flexible, will increase the security challenge of robberies in the state.


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