The Ease of the Lockdown and Unintended Consequences – By Alexander Ekemenah
Yesterday, May 4. 2020. Lagosians, including residents in Ogun State and Abuja, trooped out enmasse to their various places of work.
This was a result of the ease of the lock-down by the Federal Government last week Monday.
While announcing the ease of the lock-down, President Muhammadu Buhari still reeled out certain guidelines for the citizens to observe in the course of economic activities that bring people into close contacts with one another.
This was followed up by Lagos State Government including that of Ogun State and FCT with their individual guidelines.
However, from various observations made in Lagos State metropolis, it was evident that hardly were those guidelines adhered to by the citizens.
Various banks experienced large turnout of customers who besieged the banks to transact one form of business or the other.
There were pushing and pulling at the entrance gates whereby the rule on social distancing was completely ignored.
It was also observed that private transporters did not also observe the minimum passengers requirement at all as passengers choked themselves into various available vehicles for public transportation.
In market places, the story is the same.
While many pedestrians wore face masks and even handgloves, many also did not.
The situation present a dilemma whereby masses clamored for the ease of the lock-down to enable them go their various places of work to earn incomes with the fatalistic attitudes that nothing will happen to them.
This is predicated on the failure of the Government to provide any form of palliatives for the masses.
What the situation is telling us is that there is so much poverty in the country and the government cannot sustain the lock-down for long without riots or protests breaking out sooner or later. The National Bureau of Statistics has just released a report showing that over 80 million Nigerians are poor. Is it a wonder that Nigeria is said to be the poverty capital of the world?
The situation becomes worrisome when we consider the fact that there has been no sign of the abatement of the COVID-19 so far. The curve has not been flattened in Nigeria at all, but is rather climbing up.
There is no strategic template anywhere by the Federal Government to combat this deadly virus. All we have been treated to are adhoc measures which do not seem to be stemming the tidal wave of this virus.
There is clear and present danger in Kano State where the virus is spreading at alarming rate with death rate almost meeting that of Lagos State if not to surpass it if care is not taken.
We must ask the Kano State Government to roll up its trouser or babaringa to roll back the spreading of the virus in the state.
Other state governments must also become proactive in their individual approaches to fight this virus – and not wait till when things get out of hands as is happening in Kano State now.
The country is already overwhelmed by the shortage and inadequacy of testing facilities.
We need to take care that we don’t find ourselves where everything will break down.
Alexander Ekemenah is the Chief Analyst for NextMoney magazine and a public affairs commentator.
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