Abba Kyari’s Burial: CUPP Tackles Federal Government Over Violations Of World Health Organization COVID-19 Protocol

The Coalition of opposition political parties in Nigeria has berated the Federal Government over gross violations of World Health Organization COVID-19 protocol, federal government quarantine and infectious diseases regulations as well as the Lagos and Abuja lockdown regulations in course of handling the burial of Mallam Abba Kyari, late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The opposition political parties under the aegis of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), contended that the various violations have compromised and jeopardized the fight against Coronavirus, warning that infections may be out of control.

In a statement by its Spokesman, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the CUPP noted that the Federal Government acted recklessly and irresponsibly by removing and transporting the remains of Abba Kyari from Lagos to Abuja in violation of World Health Organization COVID-19 protocol and federal government regulations on how to dispose dead bodies of infected persons.

According to the CUPP, “As of the time of the announcement of the death of the Chief of Staff, the NCDC had reported a total of 17 deaths and the Minister of Information had announced that corpses of victims of the virus would not be released to families for burial. Why have all the others who died weeks before Mallam Kyari not been buried?

“The Presidential Task Force led by Secretary to the Government of the Federation should be disbanded for directly authorizing violation of all measures put in place to curtail the spread of the virus, hosting an infected body in government presidential building the Defense House in Maitama and an effective and responsive team to be headed by the Vice President be set up immediately to lead us through this battle against Corona virus.

“The Nigerian opposition wants those who participated in the movement of Kyari’s dead body from Lagos, those at defense house and the hundreds at the burial ground arrested and kept in isolation for 14 days.

“All those who attended the burial in violation of the lockdown should be arrested and prosecuted for violating the lockdown which forbids burial of any sort and large crowd gathering.

“In times like this, there must not be preferential treatment for any person. There was no social distancing at the burial. All rules set for the prevention and containment of the virus were violated today (18 April, 2020) by the government.”

The full text of the UPP Statement reads below:

For Immediate Release
From CUPP
18th April 2020

ABBA KYARI: PRESIDENT BUHARI GOVERNMENT’S RECKLESSNESS AND IRRESPONSIBILITY HAS JEOPARDIZED THE FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS AND THE INFECTION MIGHT BE OUT OF CONTROL.

… BUHARI GOVERNMENT ACTED RECKLESSLY BY MOVING THE REMAINS OF ABBA KAURI FROM LAGOS TO ABUJA IN VIOLATION OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION COVID-19 PROTOCOL, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS ON HOW TO DISPOSE THE DEAD BODIES OF INFECTED PEOPLE AND FOR VIOLATING THE LAGOS AND ABUJA LOCKDOWN

… THE PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE LED BY SGF SHOULD BE DISBANDED FOR AUTHORIZING VIOLATION OF ALL MEASURES PUT IN PLACE TO CURTAIL THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS AND AN EFFECTIVE AND RESPONSIVE TEAM TO BE HEADED BY THE VICE PRESIDENT SET UP

… OPPOSITION WANTS THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE MOVEMENT OF KYARI DEAD BODY FROM LAGOS, THOSE AT DEFENSE HOUSE AND THE HUNDREDS AT THE BURIAL GROUND ARRESTED AND KEPT IN ISOLATION FOR 14 DAYS

… ALL THOSE WHO ATTENDED THE BURIAL IN VIOLATION OF THE LOCKDOWN SHOULD BE ARRESTED AND PROSECUTED FOR VIOLATING THE LOCKDOWN WHICH FORBIDS BURIAL OF ANY SORTH AND LARGE CROWD GATHERING

The Nigerian opposition coalition CUPP is shocked at the facts which have emerged following the death of Mallam Abba Kyari that he died in a private medical facility where he was being treated and his remains immediately taken to Abuja for burial at the Gudu cemetery. By these reveled facts, it has become obvious that the Buhari government recklessness, impunity and irresponsibility has jeopardized and compromised the fight against the dreaded virus and the situation might get out of hand.

The Buhari government acted recklessly by moving the remains of Mallam Abba Kyari from Lagos to Abuja in violation of the World Health Organization COVID-19 protocol, federal government quarantine and infectious diseases regulations on how to dispose the dead bodies of infected people and for violating the Lagos and Abuja lockdown regulations. As of the time of the announcement of the death of the Chief of Staff, the NCDC had reported a total of 17 deaths and the Minister of Information had announced that corpses of victims of the virus would not be released to families for burial. Why have all the others who died weeks before Mallam Kyari not been buried?

The Presidential Task Force led by Secretary to the Government of the Federation should be disbanded for directly authorizing violation of all measures put in place to curtail the spread of the virus, hosting an infected body in government presidential building the Defense House in Maitama and an effective and responsive team to be headed by the Vice President set up immediately to lead us through this battle against Corona virus.

The Nigerian opposition wants those who participated in the movement of Kyari’s dead body from Lagos, those at defense house and the hundreds at the burial ground arrested and kept in isolation for 14 days. All those who attended the burial in violation of the lockdown should be arrested and prosecuted for violating the lockdown which forbids burial of any sort and large crowd gathering. In times like this, there must not be preferential treatment for any person. There was no social distancing at the burial. All rules set for the prevention and containment of the virus were violated today by the government.

The president in his last speech to the nation talked about the irresponsible action of a few that jeopardizes the health of others. It is now obvious that it is the irresponsible and reckless action of President Buhari entire government starting with the PTF, the Police IGP, the Health Minister and FCT Minister that have now compromised public health of Nigerians especially from Lagos and Abuja. It was a shame that the government had to even lax the lockdown illegally just to show the government’s usual impunity.

What kind of irresponsible leader will violate corona virus treatment protocol and take a patient to a private clinic against WHO directives thereby exposing to infection and risking health of health workers and other patients in the Lagos private clinic which may be why the number of cases in Lagos is increasing?  What kind of irresponsible government will open the airspace to fly around an infected and dead body from Lagos to Abuja or from anywhere they flew him from? What kind of irresponsible government will through the Information Minister say government will not release bodies for burial but goes ahead to conduct burials for an individual moving the corpse from Lagos or anywhere in the world to Abuja, to Defense House and to the cemetery with hundreds of people? There are reports even in the United States of America where people contracted the virus from attending burial ceremonies where it was believed that all precautions had been taken.

We urge National Assembly to reconvene and start doing their work if they have political will as this COVID-19 pandemic is turning into a looting pipe for politicians and a huge joke. Today they fly unchecked oil workers to Rivers without respect to the safety measures of the state, the Aviation Minister issues reckless flight permits, people are now allowed to treat at private hospitals, corpses are moved around against WHO protocols and health measures, lockdown is violated by those who made the law etc this government is still playing politics with this fight.

We urge state indigenes to pressure their governors to without recourse to any interest lockdown their states to avoid FG reckless action affecting them including arresting and prosecuting anybody who violates their regulations. At this moment we look up to the states to show leadership since the centre is now reckless and irresponsible. Nigerians will hold President Muhammadu Buhari personally responsible if the situation in Abuja deteriorates and the number spikes.

Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere
Opposition Coalition (CUPP) Spokesperson