Lockdown: “80million Nigerians are poor” – SERAP may drag Buhari to court over palliatives

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has disclosed plans to drag President Muhammadu Buhari to court.

The group made the declaration Monday night via its Twitter account.

This followed the Nigerian leader’s announcement that additional 1 million families will get palliative measures during the lockdown.

Buhari said: “In the past two weeks, we announced palliative measures such as food distribution, cash transfers and loans repayment waivers to ease the pains of our restrictive policies during this difficult time. These palliatives will be sustained.

“I have also directed that the current social register be expanded from 2.6 million households to 3.6 million households in the next two weeks”.

But SERAP noted that the figure was a far cry from the number of Nigerians in dire need of cash and food items

“President Buhari’s plan to expand the social register from 2.6m households to 3.6m won’t cut it. It fails to cover 80m poor Nigerians facing growing hunger & deprivation due to COVID-19.

“We’re suing to compel the authorities to extend benefits to deserving Nigerians”, SERAP tweeted.

However, the president has signed the Quarantine Order. It gives a legal backing to the lockdown extension.

On security, the Inspector General of Police, M.A Adamu, has ordered deployment of additional intelligence and operational assets of the Force to Lagos and Ogun.

This decision was sequel to recent activities of hoodlums and street urchins.