Press Release
30/03/20


Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Monday, described President Muhammadu Buhari’s pre-recorded broadcast to the nation on Sunday evening as a monumental embarrassment to Nigerians.

Frank in a statement in Abuja, said that Nigerians were disappointed in Buhari’s speech because it fell shamefully short of a “presidential crisis broadcast” compared to what world leaders are offering to their citizens at this time.

He said that Nigerians would have forgiven the President if he had stuck to his decision not to speak to Nigerians on efforts being done to contain the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country, instead of being “wide in generalities and short on specifics.”

Frank said: “The broadcast was worse than COVID-19 because it failed to outline a specific roadmap on how Nigeria can win this invisible war.

“Any measure from the Federal Government that does not advance Nigeria’s response to the COVID-19 will ultimately hurt Nigerians.

“The President has not only lost precious response time, he is yet losing time while the rate of infection is steadily growing in the country.

“Nigerians were highly disappointed that instead of a live broadcast - with the media given the opportunity to seek clarifications for the benefit of Nigerians - the President opted for a pre-recorded and stilted message.

“He only played back to Nigerians what most experts have recommended and which many state governments have already started implementing.

“While Ghana with about 28 million population is attacking the pandemic with $100 million, Nigeria with over 200 million people is approaching the virus with a paltry N15 billion which translates to roughly $40 million going by the prevailing exchange rate. Are we being serious and responsive here?”

He commended the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, for appealing to Chief Executives of commercial banks to support the Federal Government’s fight against the pandemic.

He however called on individuals and corporate bodies that have pledged financial assistance to contain the virus in the country not to handover such funds to the administration if they don’t want their hard earned resources looted.

“They should rather partner with individual state governments to ensure that the funds are prudently spent like the example that GTBank has done in partnership with the Lagos State Government by erecting a 100-bed hospital for the isolation and treatment of confirmed cases,” he said.

According to the Bayelsa-born political activist, “Buhari only told Nigerians what they already knew - things many state governments have already implemented. Yet, all palliatives promised by the President will be delivered in ‘coming weeks.’

“The President failed to tell Nigerians about the testing capacity of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that is leading the charge against this deadly virus in the country.

“How many people can the NCDC test per day and what medical exigences are needed to successful treat confirmed cases and ensure that they resume their normal lives?

“How many people are going to benefit from
the conditional cash transfer. How many IDPs will benefit from the two months food rations being planned by Buhari in ‘the coming weeks?’

“Nigerians are aware that the school feeding programme of the Federal Government has performed wonderfully in theory. How does the President want to feed children that are not in school?

“Buhari restricted movement in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT for two weeks, however, he failed to say when most civil servants especially in the FCT that have not been paid will receive their salaries.

“How are these categories of workers expected to cope with the lockdown without a Kobo in their pockets?

“All over the world, no government has restricted media coverage of the ongoing pandemic, but Buhari said those in Abuja and Lagos can only move if they can prove they cannot work from home!

“Do media houses operate newsrooms or broadcast stations from the homes of their respective employees?

“I think Nigerians deserve something better from their President in the the face of this global scourge.”

He saluted Nigerians for their resilience in this trying moment and prayed for quick recovery for those undergoing treatment as a result of the virus.

He also urged Nigerians to intensify prayers for the pandemic to cease in the country.


Signed

Comrade Timi Frank
Political Activist
Abuja.

The earlier we put our differences aside without pointing accusing fingers and tackle this pandemic together, the better for us as a country.
God bless Nigeria and Nigerians.
#StaySafe.

Somebody should please go near this guy. He's sick!

Nah so Tim my guy!! Tell them the truth with a chilled bottle of alomo bitters

wetin dey worry all this stupid people sef, PDP are just too irritating, Jonathan succeeded in destroying PDP by sending away their sensible founding fathers, replacing them with foolish drunkards like himself

In US Democrats Independents and Republican have both shunned petty politics to work out plans for their economic recovery, disaster management and relief plan

if PDP are sensible, since they felt Buhari's speech and plans he itemized are not enough or they felt he doesn't have the power to place curfew on Lagos and Ogun, then they should tell Nigerians what other plans they want him to do

.

In Nigeria fools are celebrated by Ipob igbo on how foolish their comment can resonate so this isn't surprising at all.

Some of these questions have asked too.
One can only hope that people saddled with responsibilities will deliver them. But then when there are no specifics to measure performances with, how will people be held accountable?

Timi Frank made valid points.

Nonsense talk, in his entry life he will never be like Buhari

It shows that some people are born with hatred, living with hatred, dining with hatred and so are expected to talk with hatred. These are the set of people that berated Buhari for not addressing the nation on the global pandemic. Now that he has given his speech they are angry.
All those that once said Buhari did nothing about the situation and now saying Buhari has no power to restrict movement are all mad

Ranting of a loud mouth ugly EBOLA looking monkey.

This retard needs to get a real job instead of waiting for change in govt and hoping for appointment. Jobless idiotic fool.

Stale propaganda.

Hahahaha

This is not time for critics. I don't even like Buhari, but we need to join hands to fight this, so we can all survive.

You're right. But, this isn't the right time to care about speech or your stupidity. We just want to breathe.

Nigerians know how to take wrong decisions and regret it at last.

In 2019 we had many vibrant young men that can deliver in every aspect who came out for presidency. We rejected them because they're neither APC nor PDP and voted for an old illiterate, now we're complaining.

In 2023, some young fools will start campaigning for old Tinubu and his colleagues. After we're done voting for them, we will start complaining.

I've said to myself, until our young people develop sense and start campaigning for competence and not party, religion or ethnicity, am not voting for anyone in Nigeria.

Imagine we have a president who can't address us. His young PAs will copy note and give to him.

He will practice and recite it for one week before coming to present it like a primary one pupil's presentation.

Is a pity

Attention seeker


By the way, the speech and the actions would have been fantastic if it was done in February when that Italian man and the stewpid returnee have not started trooping into the country.

Yeye dey smell

No be speech matter now o, NA SURVIVAL FIRST

Buhari hid only to surface to read summary.

What did Buhari say that is new?

Reading Sanwo Pontius Pilate speech was more presidential.

I disagree.

You are telling people to totally lock down without considering how they would feed and survive for the next two weeks....
Sanwo Olu telling Lagosisns to do last minute shopping like if there's any money he kept for them....
Our billionaires doing free will donations to Government instead of sharing that money to Nigerians....

Totally being locked down is not a bad idea but when you lock people down and they die of hunger tell me what you are trying to fight in truth? Covid-19 or intentionally sending people to their graves through hunger to reduce overpopulation

While we are so daft and copy the westerners with every preventive measures they take, while can't we copy the US who provided a $2 Trillion Stimulus, to give each citizen $1200 or Canada who told Landlords not to collect three months rent from citizens

Buhari the Dullard, so clueless, lifeless and unintelligent won't even think about that but rather recite words written on paper which he has been practicing for weeks so the world won't laugh at him again after calling Covid-19 Covikk 1-9 virus....

Oh Lord in this prevailing times do not abandon us!! The Nigerian Government has failed us abysmally but you can never forget not forsake your children

Is not funny. We need you to represent Nigeria in a more practical way atleast, from the loot you gathered over time. No one makes you an orator for nigerians. stupid deceptive old shrink skeletal fool acting as if he cares.

many of these tools are criticising for criticism sake,they are not objective about it.its more of clout chasing to me

Sincerly didn't watch because I don't hear Jack when the man speaks.

Chei

Ghen ghen