By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, has tasked the Federal Government on the downward trend of governance by the current administration particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic as it affects Nigerians in areas like hike in electricity tariffs by 100 percent, ASUU continual strike, increase in rape, food crisis and the #EndSARS protests.
The Board of trustees of ActionAid Nigeria made these observations and gave recommendations after a virtual 42nd meeting to review the State of the Nation on the 14th November 2020 as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
After the virtual meeting AAN observed the downward trend of governance which has led to lack of proper accountability mechanism for the Police Special Anti- Robbery Squad, SARS and government responsiveness which snowballed into #EndSARS protests as a result of harassment of innocent citizens, extortion at gunpoint and extrajudicial killings of suspects as well as decadence in other sectors of the economy.
AAN Nigeria recommendations to the Government of Nigeria includes definite timelines for response to youths demands with investigations into what transpired at the Lekki Tollgate, sponsored hoodlums attack to disrupt peaceful protests. They also called on government to ask the Central Bank to unfreeze the accounts of #EndSARS promoters.
AAN urged government to declare a State of Emergency on the Education sector to end the already deteriorating educational sector, adding that government should review it’s stand on the IPPIS, pay salaries of ASUU members and inject proper funding into the sector.
That government should strengthen the health sector and investigate problems associated with COVID-19.
They called on government to reverse the price and 100 percent hike in electricity tariff and provide meters to electricity consumers.
To mitigate and prevent sexual Gender Based Violence services in the country by ensuring access to reproductive health services for survivors, especially for rape victims and other SGBV survivors.
AAN also called on government to avert the looming food crisis by through increased access to low interest credit by the small-scale farmers, especially smallholder women farmers who produce over 70% of food consumed in the country.
