COVID – 19: Prepare for more sacrifices, group urge Nigerians
By Abiodun Ojo
The National Coordinator
Coalition for A Better Nigeria has asked Nigerians to be ready to make sacrifices which may include staying at home more that anticipated.
The National Coordinator, Comrade Awa Bamiji said Nigerians should learn from what is going on all over the world
Bamiji urged Nigerians to recall how Spaniards stayed at home for 36 days with 16 more to go, without palliatives from Government
Awa Bamiji said “Spain is in Europe and one of the leading economies in the World and she is now teaching us a great lesson all over the World that truth exalts a Nation. Her Citizens willingly obeyed the Government directive of stay at Home without getting a dime from her in return”
He urged Nigerians to recall that Spaniards had stayed at home for 36 consecutive days, expecting to start living their normal lives after spending 16 more days
He said “If Spain can achieve this easily, we are of opinion that other yet to be identified European Countries will be doing the same thing by now”
He observed further “Contrary is the case here in Africa, most especially in Nigeria, where truth eludes the Citizens
“Today, several videos and messages have gone viral on social media condemning the Government directive for them to stay at home without enriching us, like Governments of USA, UK and few other Advanced Countries of the World”
The remaining part of the statement read “We suddenly forgot that Nigeria is a developing economy. While majority of us are being self centered and believe this Government is not doing enough for not reaching to us with palliatives at this trying time, a young female Student of about 12 year old in Delta State demanded for the Bank account details of the Federal Government to donate her daily contributions of meagre N2500 while a Corps’ member in Ondo State also donated his one month salary to the Government of Ondo State as his contribution to fight the spread of dreaded coronavirus
If Governments later reckon with both of them in Scholarship, we will be same set of people that will shout foul play
We are seeing members of the NURTW carrying Passengers and plying Inter State Roads as usual, regardless of stay at home directive of the Governments while the Policemen that are supposed to check them are busy with extortion and brutality on our Roads, thereby giving room to break down of Government order
We must commend wholeheartedly the AIG, Zone 11, who couldn’t hide his feeling after moving round Osun and Oyo States’ Roads last week, to see how NURTW members are flouting the Government directives
The Government of Oyo State embraces a curfew instead of lockdown as if we are faced with civil unrest or violent situation presently, which curfew can take care of
We don’t know who gave Governor Seyi Makinde medical advice that it is only in the Nights, that coronavirus are active and not during the days?
Of course, majority are applauding you, but the same set of people will be the first to call you names when the result of various medical tests proves you totally wrong. God forbids!
You gave order that only edibles’ markets should open for business but contrary is the case under your nose, at Gate market, which is just a stone throw to the Agodi Government House, where you reside
Other markets like Ogunpa, Sango, and several other places are business as usual, while Bola Ige market is on lockdown
In the edibles’ markets like Bodija, Oje, Orita – merin and others, social distancing is an aberration for them, not to talk of regular washing of their hands and putting on face masks
Not all our Government officials and Policemen are leading by examples when it comes to putting on their face masks
You are an Advocate of Regional Integration and yet, you feel highly honoured to stand alone among your Southwest Coallegues by saying no to lockdown in the densely populated State of Oyo which doubles as the entry point to all other States in Nigeria
Our non – charllant attitudes have helped the figures of cases to loom large in Nigeria, to our collective detriment.
The latest discovery of 117 new cases which jumps the total figure to 782, clearly shows that we are in for a long haul
Our fear is that coronavirus does not know borders. If a part in the World is infected, sooner or later, every other part will get its imported bundle as it is happening now
Of course, we are all hoping to regain our freedom of movement and Association, after this lockdown. Then, interaction between the tested positive and negative continues
It therefore means, all hands must be on deck, to either eradicate it soonest or reduce its impact to the barest minimum all over the World
Are we compounding or alleviating our own individual problems by continuing to expose ourselves to the dreaded pandemic on daily basis?
United State of America and Canada that have been in it before us, just extended stay at home directive by one month
We must note that it also spreads through fart especially when pants are not worn as well as through our shoes, slippers and sandals.
We must disinfect our shoes before putting them on and after removing them and we must always put them outside our apartments for few hours after disinfection
While we thank the Federal Government for timely distribution of grains across the States, making efforts to start sharing N20, 000 each to the most vulnerable Nigerians and taking bold steps to repatriate over 2, 000 stranded Nigerians abroad, we must also call her attention to the need to enforce this lockdown in the Northern part of Nigeria, because it appears that the twin evils of poverty and illiteracy that are mitigating against the success of the lockdown in the South, is more rampant in the North
Our heartfelt condolences go to Governor BabaGana Umara of Borno State and Governor Seyi Makinde Oyo State, on the demise of Mallam Abba Kyari and Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN, respectively, as well as the Federal Government, their respective families, friends and associates
The like of these two political Giants and the 1st class products of law comes once in a Century. They have both left indelible ink in the sands of time. May their gentle souls rest in peace”