Since the Pandemic Corona Virus Disease- herein after referred to as Covid-19- was discovered in Nigeria, the Nigerian Government at both the Federal Government and the State governments have put in place some measures aimed at curbing the spread of this Covid-19 beyond control as there have been rise in its spread all across the globe daily as the United States of America, Italy and Spain are topping the vulnerable countries across the globe. One very important measure of the Nigerian government was the imposition of the stay-at-home order and the lockdown of all businesses and airports and boarders including inter-states boarders. While this paper commends the Nigerian governments for its measures, it however considers the ‘idealism’ and ‘pragmatism’ approaches of the government while at the same time, advising the government to consider ‘pragmatism’ as the best approach in dealing with this situation and circumstance rather than an ‘idealism’ approach which is only based on artistic fiction rather than the reality which the pragmatism approach is all about.

According to the Online Webster Dictionary, the word Idealism’ (among other meanings), means ‘literary or artistic theory or practice that affirms the preeminent value of imagination as compared with faithful copying of nature’. Pragmatism’ on the other hand according to the same dictionary, means ‘a reasonable and logical way of doing things or of thinking about problems that is based on dealing with specific situations instead of on ideas and theories’. From the above two definitions of ‘idealism’ and ‘pragmatism’, it is my humble submission that it is important for the government to really review its 14 days’ directive and its impacts on the average Nigerians who are in the majority and in this case, the private individuals. For instance, the Federal Government and the State governments have directed the payment of public officers’/civil servants’ salaries for the month of March, 2020! The government is also impressed with its efforts in providing some palliatives/reliefs materials for indigents (who are even very few in numbers)! However, the government has not been so concerned about other private individuals who are not public/civil servants but private in business and in practice! Government has said nothing about their welfare! Government has not said anything about their survival during the lockdown on their businesses and stay at home order, including the facts that some of them must have lost a lot of money by the close of their businesses upon the government’s directive as obedient citizens! Even though the government is ready to curb the spread, the government should also be very careful in not encouraging the spread of hunger among Nigerians as that also has its own negative effects! Also, it is my observation that the Nigerian government had only adopted the foreign approach of lockdown of businesses and stay at home measures as a preventive measures in Nigeria without modifying same to suit our condition and circumstance pragmatically! There should have been some modifications by Nigerian government! Nigerian government in my view, with due respect, only heard that the foreign countries have devised a means of curbing the spread and it was all about the 14 days’ lockdown and stay at home, then, all Nigerians were directed to do so! What and why is the reason?! Those foreign countries have better economy, better welfare, better health facilities, etc and are developed countries, whereas, Nigeria is still a developing country has but has copied hook hike and sinker, without a thorough deliberation on its workability for Nigeria pragmatically! The subject matter of this article is not as to whether Nigerian government has the power to derogate and or restrict the human rights of Nigerians during this time on the ‘doctrine of necessity’ (as this legal issue had already been resolved in some of my previous articles on the subject) rather, the issue being consider here is the negative effects of such order or directive on Nigerians especially those of us in the private business/practice who survive on our daily earnings! It is also wrong for the government, with due respect, to categorise some very few persons as indigent while categorizing some other persons who are in the majority as not being indigent as almost every Nigerian in this period is regarded as indigent and should be on the welfare list and budget of the government! No one should be discriminated against! Government should rather consider the other ways of paying some allowances to all Nigerians without any categorization or discrimination! Almost all Nigerians have the Bank Verification Number ‘BVN’. The government should pay not less than fifty thousand (N50,000.00) only to each Nigerians rather than the distribution of some foodstuff to Nigerians, among whom are those who would be shy enough to turn themselves to street beggars or those who out of their status, would find it very difficult to compete with others in struggling for the foodstuff! Paying the sum of five thousand naira (N5,000.00) only to some indigent on the government’s indigent list is nothing but discriminatory and embarrassing to be paying such stipend to Nigerians whereas, those foreign countries that Nigeria has copied on the 14 days’ measures are paying close to if not more than the sum of three hundred and eighty thousand naira (N380,000.00) for instance, the United State of America, though I may be wrong! Why is it that Nigerian government will only copy the aspect that favours it and refuse the aspect that favours its people?! Nigerians must speak out! Nigerians must ask the government questions on these measures! Survival is a gift of life! Nigerian government must stand up to its responsibilities! The other challenges will be some individuals in charge, embezzling the funds and those welfare packages without any accountability! This is very ungodly and unholy for anyone to do this at the expense of the Nigerians and in a way to frustrating the genuine efforts of the government at this trying time. In fact, anyone who is found to have been culpable in corruption or embezzlement of the fund or the palliative/reliefs materials should be charged with ‘terrorism’ in addition to corruption charges as such act at this trying time, is an act of terrorizing the nation. I therefore humbly advise the Nigerian government to consider reviewing its measures and to pay money better than materials to all Nigerians without any discrimination (or in addition to materials) and I recommend the sum of fifty thousand naira (N50,000.00) only to all private persons (as this will enable us to use the money to buy what we like for us and our family) since those who are public/civil servants will be paid their March, 2020’s salaries! No one is available to pay any money or take care of those of us in the private practice and that is why we are all under the care and welfare of the government at this trying time. So that the situation that will occur that while the public servants smile away, the private persons should not feel sober in their homes! More so, government said the lockdown is for the first instance! What of where the government decides to extend the lockdown and the stay at home?! Who takes care of the private person and his family who include his-wife (or wives) and children!?! The damage is even felt even months after resumption to business! These must be put into consideration pragmatically by the government! Robbery and other vices might be experienced overnight by some miscreants whereas; it is likely to lead to breach of security! Government should also cancel payment of personal income tax for the year 2019 by Nigerians because of the trying time!

Furthermore, Nigerian lawyers who are in the private practice have no one to take care of their welfare! Young lawyers who even struggle to survive on the stipend paid by their private offices such as N20,000.00 or N30,000.00 have nothing to survive on at the moment! The Honourable, the Chief Justice of Nigeria had directed all courts in Nigeria to comply with the government’s directive of 14 days lockdown and sit-at-home by closing all courts across the federation and all courts have since complied even before the President of the Federation issued its 14 days’ sit at home order. This means that lawyers will have to be at home for more than 14 days without pay! The bar practice fee being paid to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the 90% of which goes to the Nigerian bar Association yearly could have in my humble view, been used for the welfare of all lawyers in the private practice where each lawyer is paid not less than the sum of fifty thousand naira (N50,000.00) only each! The year 2020’s bar practice fee paid to the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s customized bank account details and whose payment by lawyers had elapsed at the expiration of the 31st day of March, 2020, can be used for this purpose! The Supreme Court of Nigeria and the Nigerian Bar Association must make a quick decision on this! So that. at least, if the government is not paying lawyers, the Nigerian Bar Association should do since the bar association knows how it sends bar election messages and campaigns to lawyers’ mobile numbers; it can as well task every lawyer to send his account details for onward payment of relief allowances as suggested above. There should be no discrimination in the payment! The payment of the bar practice fees and its extension are what I see lawyers talk about but no one is actually thinking beyond all those pragmatically! This should not be politicized! I understand that the Abuja Branch of the Association under the Chairmanship of Mr Folarin Aluko is working round on the welfare of young lawyers and vulnerable members, this in humble view, is not enough as the National Body of the Association should also do its best! There is indeed the need to have a leadership that has the welfare of its members at heart both at the Nigerian government’s level and in our Nigerian Bar Association!

Finally, while I humbly submit with due respect that the Nigerian government and our Nigerian bar Association have only been ‘idealistic’ as opposed to being ‘pragmatic’ in dealing with the currently prevailing situation of the Pandemic Covid-19, I humbly recommend an immediate review of the measures being used by the government and the Nigerian bar Association in dealing with this situation and to consider the interest of Nigerians (and lawyers in private practice as the circumstance might be i.e. by the Nigerian Bar Association). I also commend the relentless efforts of the Nigerian government and all the concerned individuals and the sacrifitic efforts of our health personnel who have been sleepless since the discovery of the pandemic covid-19 in Nigeria! I pray for the quick recovery of the victims under medical treatments and I sympathise with the family of those deceased as a result of the pandemic disease! May God Almighty continue to protect us all!

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria! Long live the Nigerian Bar Association! God bless Nigerian citizens!

email: hameed_ajibola@yahoo.com

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