Chinelo Obogo
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari had no constitutional backing to declare a total lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and Abuja and urged state governors not to allow the usurpation of their powers.
Soyinka, who completed his 14-day self-isolation, yesterday, after returning from the United States, in a statement said state House of Assemblies should determine whether the president acted in accordance with the law on Sunday when he declared a curfew in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja from 11:00pm on Monday for 14 days. in order to give authorities the chance to contain the spread of coronavirus.
“Constitutional lawyers and elected representatives should kindly step into this and educate us, mere lay minds. The worst development I can conceive is to have a situation where rational measures for the containment of the coronavirus pandemic are rejected on account of their questionable genesis.
“So, before this becomes a habit, a question: does President Buhari have the powers to close down state borders? We want clear answers. We are not in a war emergency. Appropriately focused on measures for the saving lives, and committed to making sacrifices for the preservation of our communities, we should nonetheless remain alert to any encroachment on constitutionally demarcated powers. We need to exercise collective vigilance, and not compromise the future by submitting to interventions that are not backed by law and constitution.
“A President who has been conspicuously AWOL is now alleged to have woken up after a prolonged siesta, and begun to issue orders. Who actually instigates these orders anyway? From where do they really emerge? What happens when the orders conflict with state measures, the product of a systematic containment strategy – `including even trial-and-error and hiccups – undertaken without let or leave of the centre.
“So far, the anti-COVID19 measures have proceeded along the rails of decentralised thinking, multilateral collaboration and technical exchanges between states. I urge governors and legislators to be especially watchful. No epidemic is ever cured with constitutional piracy. It only lays down new political viruses for the future,” he said.
Afenifere also criticised the directive, saying that although a lockdown is necessary at this point, it should not have been done as if ‘we were shutting down a barrack under 24 hours.’
A statement signed by the organisation’s spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, said people should have been given a few days notice to get themselves prepared for a shutdown.
He aslo said it is unfortunate that serious stimulus package for its citizens beyond moratorium for NPower earners have not been provided.
The so-called lockdown is war strategy to subdue this territory natives under fulani rulership. Fulani caliphate with its emirates which are fighting to subdue this territory natives under fulani rulership. Fulani caliphate with its emirates which bombed Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo to subdue southern natives under fulani rulership. Fulani caliphate with its emirates which has been bombing northern natives to subdue northern natives under fulani rulership. We have been fighting for end of fulani caliphate with its emirates in the last three and half years of bloody engagement under the natives Disintegrated Republics, while Soyinka etc. keep making empty noise for fulani Nigeria. It is either Soyinka etc. wake up now and fight for end of fulani caliphate with its emirates or go down. The so-called military and police which are killing this territory natives to subdue this territory natives under fulani rulership, are the Coronavirus which must be Eliminated on every inch of this natives territory of Disintegrated Republics for end of fulani caliphate with its emirates. Elimination of fulani thugs nickname military and police is end of fulani caliphate with its emirates. We have broken backbones of fulani thugs nickname military and police in the last three and half years of bloody engagement against fulani caliphate with its emirates under the natives Disintegrated Republics. This territory natives has capabilities and capacity to Eliminate the remaining thugs of fulani caliphate with its emirates nickname military and police in less than 24 hours. Every community, town, city must be fully armed now, Kill thugs of fulani caliphate with its emirates nickname military and police on the streets etc. and take their weapons, Kill them in their barracks etc. and take their weapons, Burn Down their barracks etc. and take their weapons for end of fulani caliphate with its emirates. The so-called Nigeria which is fulani caliphate with its emirates, has fallen. It is Yugoslavia of Africa. The six geopolitical zones are Sovereign States- Biafra Republic of south east, Niger Delta Republic of south south, Oduduwa Republic of south west, North East Republic, North West Republic, North Central Republic. Boko Haram is for North East Republic, Amotekun is for Oduduwa Republic of south west, Ogbunigwe is for Biafra Republic of south east. Anyim Pius Anyim is interim president Biafra Republic of south east.