On the 29th of March, 2020, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gave a lockdown order in three States to include Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States owing to the fast spread of Covid-19, also known as Corona Virus. The order was to last for two weeks until it was later renewed at the expiration of the first two weeks lockdown order by an additional two weeks.
All these measure are been taken by the government of the day to ensure the safety of the Nigerians.
In addition the, Federal Government through her agency Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) moved ahead to sensitise the Nigerians on the need to stay safe in the face of the pandemic which led to massive dissemination of messages to Nigerians on daily basis via bulk SMS.
Nigerians at their level complied with the order until the recent Hunger Virus saga that has entered into most of Nigerians that survives on a daily job. Ordinarily, it is a difficult thing to stay safe at home with no food for four weeks and this is where the effort of the government is needed most, hence the molestation of the Nigerians by men of the uniform will not yield good result.
Just on the 6th of April 2020, it was reported on NTA Makurdi how some police officers molested a family man who is a staff of National Teachers Institute at his residence in Makurdi, Benue State. Report shows that he was beaten to the extend of being hospitalized.
Are these needed at this critical time that we need God’s intervention? The answer is no! I’m of the opinion that the Inspector General of police should caution the men of the Nigerian police force to be more professional in handling matters relating to this pandemic to enable Nigeria get the desired result.
We have also heard a rumour of payment of some certain amount to individuals account to ease the hardship posed on the Nigerians by the lockdown order. Though ill categorized to one sided beneficiaries, I have not heard of the implementation of the rumoured payment.
The recent burial of the corona virus victim who happened to be the Chief of Staff to the President that took place at Gudu cemetery in Abuja on 18th of April 2020 is a clear case of the fact that the nation itself is not ready for the fight against Covid-19. This is the burial where safety rule were violated even in the face of NCDC and nothing was done about it. Some persons at the burial were neither on PPE nor on face mask but were allowed around the corpse. The reason was not far fetched from our mentality of the personality involved as a victim.
It will amount to a selective justice if Funke Akindele who just celebrated the husband’s birthday was sanctioned and subjected to a trial summarily did not get an apology from Lagos State Government and Nigeria at large on the punishment she went through. It was not only a display of recklessness on the side of the man who removed his PPE and kept it at the cemetery, it is also unprofessional and negligence of the highest order in the face of this fast spreading virus called Corona.
I have imagined severally if only the poor happens to be the first victims of Corona virus, would the government take it serious? The answer is in the actions and the inactions of the government. The poor must stay indoor for everybody to be saved not withstanding whether he or she maybe starved to death by an avoidable hunger.
What then will it take the government to empower her citizens across all board to ensure equitable distribution? Nigeria as a country has 774 local government areas, administered by local government council. This should form part of their responsibilities as part of their economic plans to reduce economic hardship as guaranteed by the fourth schedule of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It is not a bad idea for the Federal Government to provide for the local government councils adequate fund via the State to take care of her citizens. It is more glorious on the government to fund the local government adequately this critical time than to watch looters looting government fund helplessly.
Henceforth, even as we pray that there shouldn’t be further records of death regards to the Covid-19, it is expedient that the NCDC swing into action by making sure all the safety precautions are observed at any burial where corpse of a victim of Covid-19 is to be buried and also ensure the safety of persons in any social gathering.
Government at this time should look inward to get a means of trying to make sure the compulsory stay at home becomes a comfortable one pending the time the pandemic is reduced to the barest minimum.
– Arome Odoma ESQ
Human Right Activist,
Lokoja.
