Bode George, a former deputy national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has faulted the continuation of National Home Grown School Feeding Programme during the lockdown .
George , in a statement Sunday night in Lagos , said it was obvious that the programme was a fraud, wondering where the government got data of residence of the school children from.
He said it was through the unity of purpose and collective efforts of all citizens that the Corona virus pandemic could be defeated, adding that the pandemic had thrown up serious issues in the economy , leading to hunger in the land with its attending problems .
The PDP chieftain, however, called for the provision of stimulus packages and palliatives to salvage the economy and alleviate suffering .
“ Pumping money into school feeding programme while the schools are not open is a little absurd
“ It is a redundant , unworkable palliative . In a nation where there is no standard numbering of houses , how do you get the food to the beneficiaries? This is more than laughable . It is tragic , ” George said
George further said that using the pandemic to play unnecessary partisan politics or stoke sectarian animosity would not do the country any good .
He stressed that the pandemic was about the survival of the nation, urging leaders and citizens to embrace a new nationalistic front to tackle the problem .
According o him, “We must never reduce this obvious national challenge to partisan feud . This is beyond section triumphalism or sectarian animosity .
“ It is about the collective survival of our nation. Let us act by coming together , by discarding old divisions, and embracing a new nationalistic front that can hopefully salvage our country from this pandemic .
Let our leaders rise in the true spirit of national vision and mobilise our people towards rescue and redemption.
“ This is indeed how nations are built and strengthened in times of great challenges . We must wield this country together now in one indivisible brotherhood .
“ There are no half measures . There are no separate ways. The solution must be collective, predicated in deliberately cultivated consensus, ” he added.
