"Sometimes the cure can be worse than the disease"



Many states have done at least a month of lockdown in a bid to flatten the curve of Covid-19 cases in Nigeria, and by the look of things, with state governors arising from a meeting to declare a ban on interstate movements for two weeks, it is very likely that two more weeks will be added to the lockdown, of which Lagos inching to its fifth week will be anticipating a seventh to go, and may still not be there. It will be interesting to know if the federal government will still continue to give directions as to the states that should be on lockdown or not, now that the states seem to insist that the prerogative for lockdown remains theirs, not the feds'.


The discovery of cases of Covid-19 in twenty seven states of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja means that even the few left without cases, have now had to either place their states on a lockdown, or on some form of curfew or the other. Interestingly, states like Lagos that declared a lockdown way before other states have now begun to experience some fatigue amongst the people. It is only when one is indoors that it will appear there is a lockdown, but venturing into the streets prove otherwise, as though many people have not been able to go to work (except those on essential duty), the lot is seen on the roads just walking, or driving past like they truly do have somewhere of importance to be at. In some cases, and on some days, the usual Lagos traffic has returned, as if things are back to normal.


One of the unintended consequences of the lockdown in many states, is the killings of Nigerians for violating the lockdown rules. In Nkpor in Anambra state, a young man Ebuka by name was felled by bullets from some trigger happy policemen, as they dispersed revelers from a watering hole, leading to angry youths of the area reacting by setting some properties of the police there ablaze, while some of the policemen were doused with liquids suspected to be acidic in nature. As for the police reaction it was a lesson in revisionism, they made of the unfortunate incident a case of which came first between the chicken and the egg, when they stated that policemen were attacked by youths looking to flout the lockdown order, and that the police only shot at art a crowd in self defence, and to prove their case, presented pictures of their men receiving treatment for burns at an undisclosed hospital.


The killing of Ebuka, and the injuring of several others, came days after the killing of another young man in Delta State, and was followed in quick succession by the killings in Abia State, of about six young men in different locations at a time the state hadn't recorded a single case of Covid-19, talk more a death by same, leaving people to wonder if the idea was to kill young men to prevent them from catching the disease. The situation in Abia was so embarrassing to the police hierarchy that the Commissioner of Police in the state had to be redeployed and replaced with a female CP. Indeed, had it not been for a sudden upsurge in the number of deaths at the hands of Covid-19 in recent days, the number of deaths of young Nigerians (for violating the lockdown) by policemen, including of a policewoman in Eneka Town, Rivers State (as she attempted to plead on behalf of traders at the market before policemen attached to the lockdown enforcement task force), at nineteen and counting, could've been more than deaths by Covid-19.


Another unintended consequence is that of the proliferation of made in Nigeria face masks, in reaction to the price of face masks which has astronomically skyrocketed in the wake of the virus in China leading to closure of garment factories, among others, and for customers allover the world, scarcity as the Chinese locked their products in, while they were still dealing with the Coronavirus in their country. Jack Ma's gift of face masks (and others materials and equipments) to Nigeria didn't do much for the health workers, as most of the N95 masks seem to have ended up with politicians and top government officials who flaunt them at will, while health workers in the front line had to make do with lesser quality masks. It didn't take long before tailors in Aba in Abia State


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScIcwswBZY0

began to cash in on the opportunity the scarcity provided. Even the Nigerian airforce wasn't left out, as they went further to include the production of Personal Protective Equipment to the list on their production line, while the army also tried their hands at manufacturing ventilators, as necessity became the mother of invention in this case, in Nigeria's response to much needed materials to combat the scourge of Covid-19. On the flip side, Anambra State governor who'd made it mandatory for anyone going outside to wear masks, while assuring tailors in the state of support, quietly retreated from his promise and left everyone to their own devises in finding face masks. With pictures of women washing used face masks for resale gone viral on social media, people took the initiative and now it is not unusual to see people wearing face masks made of different fabrics (which may not offer as much protection as the recommended ones), they personally made to protect themselves, not just from the virus, but also from draconian directives of state governments to have violators face punishments, ranging from flogging (as with Ebonyi State, to jail terms in Anambra and payment of fines in some other places). The good thing from this may just be that going forward, we may have stricken face masks, and maybe PPE from the list of items we may be importing in the nearest future.


The death of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari at a private clinic to which he was flown to from Abuja to Lagos, revealed another aspect of how class and strata in Nigeria was undermining efforts at adequately combating the scourge of Covid-19. As it came to light that some wealthy Nigerians considered it beneath them to go to isolation centres provided by the government, to deal with complications related to the disease. Sadly, some of them lost their lives, and in the process also endangered the lives of the doctors and other health care workers (40 of whom, according to the Minister of Health, have tested positive to Covid-19 in the past two weeks), who availed them of their care and expertise, a few of whom also died afterwards. Some of the patients hadn't revealed there recent travel history, and in some cases their Covid-19 status to their doctors, even when they were aware of it, leading to amongst other things the closure of such private facilities for decontamination, while the health workers are placed under quarantine, and innocent patients of other ailments denied care, following closure. The way and manner Nigeria's rich, wealthy and powerful were and continue to be enabled, can be said to have been responsible in no small part to how the novel Coronavirus was spread in Nigeria. The sense of entitlement that they continue to be served and which they demand, is why those amongst them that have tested positive or shown signs, are often called to be reminded and pleaded with to make themselves available for evacuation to the isolation centres, while ordinary Nigerians may not even be intimated of the arrival of the ambulance to come and pick suspected cases, who might have been outed by neighbours.


As for Kano State, it was a case of poking the face of the virus to see if it will react. Presently figures from there are stalled for now as testing is currently put on hold, owing to paucity of testing materials, and most importantly that of staff in the laboratory testing positive to the virus. Before then, social media was awash with citizens pulling stunts, including drinking water into which they'd washed their hands, amongst others. A lockdown wasn't declared, while a Coronavirus football tournament was declared amongst the youths, who gathered in their large numbers, without social distance to watch the matches. Then all of a sudden, a hundred and fifty persons were buried (Muslims who form the majority of the population in Kano, bury their dead within twenty hours) in three days,


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBk9cyyDYs4

at the time testing also started following the death of the index case. The government has been quick to debunk rumours that the deaths were Covid-19 related, while promising to look into the cause(s) of the deaths. After two days of quiet from Kano, people wait with bated breath as to what is to come, when testing resumes and the results starts pouring in again.


Did you just ask about palliatives? Hmm. In the past few days, we have been inundated with videos of Nigerians in Canada, United States and some parts of Europe, throwing insults at Nigeria's government, for been


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xclTwrrz9k

inconsiderate to Nigerians at home, in declaring lockdowns without palliatives for her citizens. It is true that government claims it has set aside huge amounts for payouts to the poor and vulnerable, beside food items sourced from the national grains reserve, yet proof of such distributions to the poor appear to be only to Nigerians in the North, so much so that a woman showed off the cash she received, as well as that for her little daughter (https://mobile.twitter.com/gbemidennis/status/1252512187677061122/video/1), which though was caught on tape, met with denial when the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs was asked how that was possible when the funds were supposed to go to households. Interestingly, when it comes to distributing money in the South, obstacles such as the amount in one's account is raised, in an attempt to reduce the number of those who can benefit, using the Bank Verification Number, BVN, which after so much reluctance the ministry eventually agreed to use as a means for cash transfer, and even that for now is still "audio" promise. As for the states palliative, that will require a blog post of its own.


This post will be incomplete if I fail to include the rising cases of domestic violence in Nigeria, as a result of the lockdown in many parts of Nigeria. Those physical and emotional sharp edges that is blunted by distance and separation, due to work and other outdoor activities have by reason of this lockdown, stayed exposed and raw with a day looking like thirty hours, with perpetrator and victim under the same roof, sometimes without electricity. Victims including spouses (of which women are the most affected), children that have in the past few weeks revealed their true self to their parents (as well as what they put their teachers and guardians through, while their parents at work think saintly thoughts about them), including of neighbours, like that of two men fighting in defence of their wives in Enugu


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC4o_WNWPxs

during the lockdown, the video of which is still trending on social media. Testament to how the lockdown is bringing out the beast in some of us.


And then there's sex. From wives and live-in girlfriends complaining of too much of it, like the woman in the video of a street in Lagos, who appeared to have had enough of her man, that she had to run from her apartment to seek help from neighbours from what seemed a highly libidinous husband or mate, to men complaining of same, to that of single men and women virtually begging for the lockdown to be relaxed so they can start having sex again. A case of different strokes for different folks.


'kovich



PICTURE CREDIT:
- https://www.lindaikejisblog.com
- https://shgl.tv



UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF NIGERIA'S LOCKDOWN https://madukovich./2020/04/24/unintended-consequences-of-nigerias-lockdown/

Nice article....Bro,the Matter wey dey on ground so...e heavy for mouth.

I just don't know how we can be able to curb dz CoronaVirus of a thing cos If am to say...the lockdown itself have indirectly done more harm than good to the people....There is hunger in the land and as such people find it very difficult to stay indoors...Even the Bible said " Give us this day,Our daily bread..The government ain't in any way helping matterx atall.

Na my mind I talk Sha...I no stone person

PureGoldh:
Nice article....Bro,the Matter wey dey on ground so...e heavy for mouth.

I just don't know how we can be able to curb dz CoronaVirus of a thing cos If am to say...the lockdown itself have indirectly done more harm than good to the people....There is hunger in the land and as such people find it very difficult to stay indoors...Even the Bible said " Give us this day,Our daily bread..The government ain't in any way helping matterx atall.

Na my mind I talk Sha...I no stone person

Na true mind talk, you talk so Sir.