With the continued detection of more cases of coronavirus in the country, government has been urged to waive taxes for citizens as part of socio-economic palliative measure to ameliorate the impact of the pandemic.
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International Nigeria call for the palliatives in a statement signed by the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa.
CISLAC also advised Nigerians to comply with health experts’ advice and government directives in order to stay safe from contracting the virus.
The statement reads in part; “CISLAC advocates that governments at local, state and federal levels be more prepared for disaster response and management to be able to curb the spread of Corona Virus and other epidemics. COVID 19 has, as of now, infected over 350, 000 people worldwide and killed 15, 000 globally.
“CISLAC observes that inadequate preparedness for the management of epidemics, such as the COVID-19, is a result of poor funding allocation for the health sector, widespread corruption and lack of palliative measures.
“Nigeria has only two doctors per 1000 citizens and 0.5 beds per 1000 citizens. Health personnel are unable to effectively deliver essential health services. In addition, over 90% of the Nigerian population is without health insurance coverage and cannot afford even basic health care.
“CISLAC’s long-term experience in the health sector shows the inability to effectively address numerous public health challenges. Political instability, corruption, limited institutional capacity and an unstable economy are major factors responsible for the poor development of health services in Nigeria. “Households and individuals in Nigeria suffer from dysfunctional and inequitable health system, which prompts them to delay or not seek health care and having to pay out of pocket for health care services that are not affordable. This could prove disastrous in the context of the fast spreading COVID-19 pandemic.
