For the class of Nigerians whose income is so little that it is equated to one Dollar-a-day, the impact of the rampaging coronavirus is a lot deeper as government’s preventive measures take toll on economic activities.
Increasingly, economic activities are grinding to a halt and this has been made worse by government’s restriction of movement and an order for people to sit at home to avoid contracting or further spreading of the coronavirus.
Lagos State government had ordered the closure of markets, schools, event centres and other public places. The federal government has added to this with a total lockdown of the state, stressing that all forms of movement in and out of the state should stop.
President Muhammadu Buhari who gave this order in his broadcast to the nation Sunday evening also shut down Ogun State and the federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja. His reason was that Lagos and Abuja have the highest number of coronavirus cases while Ogun was affected because it is close to Lagos.
“This in a worthwhile development, but one only hopes some people will not die of hunger in their houses. There are some people who earn income from their daily activities like hawkers, motorcycle (okada) and tricycle (keke) riders, mini bus (danfo) drivers, and labourers at construction sites,” Idowu Makinde, a social affairs commentators, told BusinessDay on phone.
Makinde hoped that this class of people were among those the president, in his broadcast, described as “the most vulnerable” who the federal government would give food ration.
“For residents of satellite and commuter towns and communities around Lagos and Abuja whose livelihoods will surely be affected by some of these restrictive measures, we shall deploy relief materials to ease their pains in the coming weeks,” the president assured.
But concerns still remain. “The president’s promise of relief materials is very good and reassuring, but I have my fears. As an okada rider, I get what my family and I eat from the road. Now I don’t know whether I am part of the people the President said are the most vulnerable and for whom relief materials will be provided,” Matthew Idoko, an okada ride, said.
In spite of everything, Idoko supports the president’s action, but feels worried about the fate that awaits him and people like him in the days and weeks to come. He pleaded that, no matter how small, governments at the federal and state levels should give out stimulus package to all the people who are truly vulnerable.
Anthony Njemanze is a construction worker. Before now, he was busy, moving from one building to another, doing his plumbing work at Teju Royal Garden Estate located in a Lagos suburb.
Like Idoko, he also commended the decision to shut down Lagos and Abuja “if only that will prevent the spread of this deadly disease to other parts of the country.” But he wondered how his family would cope without any income at all. “This is the time for both government and churches to help poor people,” he pleaded.
Unarguably, reduced economic activities is affecting all and sundry and that is piling enormous pressure on many families, especially those of the poor. “The situation is tough already and I have my fear that it will be tougher when we get deeper into the lockdown,” Idoko lamented.
However, the president has appealed that “we must all see this as our national and patriotic duty to control and contain the spread of this virus. I will, therefore, ask all of us affected by this order to put aside our personal comfort to safeguard ourselves and fellow human beings.”
Buhari pointed that as the government remains ready to enforce these measures, Nigerians should see the measures as their individual contribution in the war against COVID-19. He noted that many other countries have taken far stricter measures in a bid to control the spread of the virus.
CHUKA UROKO
