Abba Kyari: Prosecute SGF, Garba Shehu, others for breaking COVID-19 protocols – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Authorities to prosecute the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 pandemic, Boss Mustapha, and other top government functionaries on the violation of health safety and social restriction directives during the funeral of the late Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari. The PDP, in a statement Tuesday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the SGF and other government officials, including PTF members, ought to have shown respect to the memory of Mallam Kyari by conducting themselves in a manner that served as a guide to other Nigerians in the fight against COVID-19.

The party, however, urged all citizens to redouble their efforts in adhering to the restriction order as well as health safety directives of social distancing and personal hygiene, adding that with the concerted effort of all, the nation will defeat the scourge. Mustapha had apologized for the action of his team at the burial rites of the late Chief of Staff but the PDP is insisting that the apology is not enough. “Our party understands that the apology came after widespread condemnation of the conduct of such government officials and other individuals at the funeral,” the party said.

The PDP described as unfortunate that those who make and enforce rules over ordinary Nigerians were found directly violating the same rules with impunity, thereby compromising the efforts to check the spread of the pandemic in the country.

“This, therefore, is not an act that an apology by the SGF will serve as enough, as it does not drive home the issue at stake to the public as well as to government officials,” PDP stressed. Consequently, the PDP charged the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) authorities, in line with its actions against ordinary Nigerians who had flouted the rules, to immediately prosecute all government functionaries involved in the violation. “Nigerians had all watched how the FCT prosecuted residents at various mobile courts across the territory. Justice would therefore only be done and of course, seen to have been done, if the FCT toes the same line in this instance. “Nigeria as a nation is governed by the constitution in which all Nigerians are deemed equal before the law. Our officials must learn to respect rules made and enforced by them, particularly at this trying time. “The PDP, however, urged Nigerians not to allow this development to make them lose faith in the over all mutli-sectoral effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic,” the party said.