<p><em><strong>Chief Abdulahi Tony is a foremost legal practitioner and maritime expert.</strong></em> <strong><em>He leads the advocacy for “Cargo society”, an organised platforms that ensure that national branded vessels have businesses that can sustain them and operators can fill the local content quotas.</em> <em>In this piece, made available to OpenLife by Akin Kuponiyi, the respected lawyer from South Ibie in Edo Edo has offered tenants in all his properties across Nigeria 3-month free stay beginning from April 1.</em> <em>This, according to him, is his little contribution to the ongoing relief efforts by government, corporate individuals and institutions.” my contribution on cushioning the impact of coro,&#8221; he said. Below is the piece personally signed by Abdulahi Tony Dania</em></strong><br> <br> <br> </p>



<p>While both the Federal Government of Nigeria and Lagos State Government are yet to announce specific payments of funds to the citizens, to help in their sustenance while staying at home, I must commend the government, particularly the governor of Lagos State, for all the efforts made so far in the fight against COVID-19. </p>



<p>I thank members of the medical team who have continuously risked their lives to save lives. I also thank the donors of billions of Naira in cash and in kind, to the federal and Lagos governments to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>



<p>I am a Legal practitioner with just 5 juniors and 6 members of staff including 2 security personnel. I want to plead with the federal government, Lagos government; property owners; banks and other financial institutions that granted loans that are subsisting; owners of schools; telephone services operators; cable and internet services providers; public utility services operators like water corporation, LAWMA, IKEDC, etc to grant waivers for rents and suspend interest payment on loans including payment for cable TV, datas, electricity bills, etc, without interrupting the provision of those services free for 3 months, starting from April 1 till July 1, 2020.</p>



<p>I want to start with myself and assist within the limits
of my ability. All my tenants in  ;Apapa, Jakande Estate, Oke Afa, Isolo and Solape in Ejigbo, all in Lagos State including South
Ibie, Iyakpi, in Etsako West, Edo state are hereby notified  ;not to
pay any rent to me or my agents  ;for 3 months, starting from 1st of April &#8211; 1st
of July 2020.</p>



<p>While implementing the above, I urge the federal  ;to re-organize the supplies of foods or cash
to indigent citizens and residents, because the current arrangement where people come to designated centers is encouraging crowded gathering with its
attendant risks of the spread of COVID-19.</p>



<p>Every street and
estate has EXCOs. There are ; Obas, Bales, Olori-Ebis, Eze Ndigbo,
Seriki Hausa, in every town in
Lagos State, and in Nigeria. In every State there are Police Commissioners, Area Commanders, DPOs, NURTW,
presidents of various &#8220;Kparakpos&#8221; unions, Chief Imams, General
Overseers, Pastors, etc. They would have been ; used  ;to convince the populace to voluntarily comply
with all the restrictions  ;and recommended safety measures. The riots in
Katsina on the last jumat and in Warri could have been avoided. They can also
be used to distribute foods and other items to indigent persons among them.</p>



<p>The use of force, as it is currently been done or violent
assaults against violators of the restrictive order, might cause avoidable communal reaction, as it happened in
Warri. Most Nigerians are hungry and angry. ; Those afore mentioned category
of persons could have easily
reached their neighbours to educate and persuade them and there would have been an almost 100% compliance.</p>



<p>The absence of electricity in majority of homes is a very
big problem. Almost everybody is using
generator. 70% of available generators use petrol. This is a serious issue. The N2
further reduction in the price of petrol is good, but it is insignificant. The federal government  ;should reduce the price to N75 per litre  ;for just 30 days from  ;1st of April to 1st
of May. It could be reversed  ;to the normal price after 30 days. Do this and
you shall know by popular reactions, how appreciative Nigerians can be.</p>



<p>The federal government can achieve N75 per litre of petrol for 30 days by using the funds so far donated and calling for more donations. Major and Independent oil marketers could also be called in to cooperate whichever way possible. The fight against COVID-19 is a battle we must win by the grace of God.</p>



<p>The local
governments  ;are yet to be seen in
any proactive ; action . The same persons mentioned above, can  ;be used to sustain the &#8220;stay at
home&#8221; directive, identify those
with positive results and advising the isolation strategy and thereafter, call
in NCDC officers for further actions</p>



<p>Text kits are available (not from China} The landing cost is expensive for now, but a government supervised syndication in each town or estates or combination of 5 streets in a village or town can procure one.</p>



<p>In my street, we fixed the road and we are currently working on getting a transformer (with the supervision of IKEDC) to boast electricity supplies. Lagos State government is a pacesetter. I plead with them to implement the above.</p>



<p>My next advice after the exit of COVID-19
which will be very soon, Insha Allah and IJN, would be how local government  ;can achieve the fixing of not less than 5
streets in every local government area
every month. This would result
to 60 streets every year in each council
area. </p>



<p>But, first, let&#8217;s join hands in sending this COVID-19 packing from Nigeria.</p>



<p>Finally, while we wait for our scientists to come up with
a vaccine or COVID-19,
I want us to also encourage our herbal
medicine doctors to research on a possible cure for the pandemic. You never can tell, we might find a &#8220;Nigerian
cure&#8221; for it. God bless Nigeria. ;</p>



<p>Thank you.</p>



<p><strong>Chief Abdullia Tony ; Dania
ESQ ; ;<br>
abdullaitonydania@gmail.com</strong></p>

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