COVID-19 Support: Abdulahi Dania gives 3-month free rent to all his tenants across Nigeria

Chief   Abdulahi  Tony is a foremost legal practitioner and maritime expert. 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. 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. 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,” he said. Below is the piece personally signed by Abdulahi  Tony Dania

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.

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.

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.

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 – 1st of July 2020.

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.

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 “Kparakpos” 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.

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.

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.

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.

The local governments  are yet to be seen in any proactive  action . The same persons mentioned above, can  be used to sustain the “stay at home” directive, identify those with positive results and advising the isolation strategy and thereafter, call in NCDC officers for further actions

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.

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.

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.

But, first, let’s join hands in sending this COVID-19 packing from Nigeria.

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 “Nigerian cure” for it. God bless Nigeria. 

Thank you.

Chief Abdullia Tony  Dania ESQ  
abdullaitonydania@gmail.com