I gingerly kept the knife that mercilessly stripped my yam of its skin; preparing to wash my hands. As I turned on the kitchen tap, it made a guttural sound and refused to spurt out water. I wondered in disbelief; I just pumped some water yesterday! I went outside to complain to the landlord. It turned out that someone tampered with the pipe which resulted in all the water leaking out. This was just great!

I finally had to cook my yam with satchets of water. Now, the man who was supposed to come and repair the pipe couldn’t come because of the lockdown. All the roads in the state are filled with policemen to stop movement.

What about the family of six living in the next compound who cannot afford to feed. The woman came to me yesterday evening to ask for foodstuff for dinner. She hawks food for a living; since she has no permanent place yet. Now that’s just one of the many families who are starving during this lockdown. They can’t go out, and they definitely cannot stay indoors or they’d risk dying of starvation.

I commend the government for the system of using the lockdown as one of the precautionary measures to curb the spread of the Corona virus. I also don’t think there’s a point for this because if you look at it critically, the main aim, which is the preservation of human lives, is defeated.

I once stumbled upon a video online where government officials were doling out food packs to people. I saw the way people were struggling to get a pack of food. It was a mess! People were equally being trampled upon. I’m sure even with the struggle, some will not get a pack. Food will equally be wasted; scattered all over the place. There was no social distancing being observed at this point. Even with the officials being around. People would have contracted the virus within the twinkle of an eye and the whole purpose of the lockdown will be defeated.

Another standpoint we should look at is the fact that as a result of the lockdown, people become idle. Companies,shops and offices are shut down. A majority of individuals who earn a living through public transport can no longer work. Buses, tricycles and bike owners are all at home, doing nothing. As the saying goes, “the idle mind is the devil’s workshop”, the crime rate in the society will increase.

People who have nothing to feed and have tried begging or borrowing to no avail, will eventually resort to robbery; even stealing food stuff from people. As much as trying to preserve human lives by curbing the spread of the disease is concerned, people will be victims of these crimes and the purpose of the lockdown will be defeated.

What about victims of starvation and robbery who have become so depressed and could commit suicide. There are those who are sick and cannot afford to buy medication or pay for treatment especially when they are not working. Lives will be lost. The economy is at the risk of a recession.

As much as I think the lockdown is not necessary, it’s here already. If we are rooting for the preservation of human lives and property, we should see to it in all aspects. Beyond curbing the spread of the disease, provisions should be made for those who cannot take care of themselves.

We are in the digital age, a lot of people don’t even have digital skills. There should be classes online where people can be taught how to make money online. This is a trying period for the country, we should have each other ‘s interest in mind. If you know something you can do to help the next person, do it. It’s all about preservation of lives. Let’s be safe.

Source:http://Bossmeek.com.ng