By Damilola Seun Oluwafemi


Some Nigerians believe that the Federal Government and the citizens are not helping matters in the era of the the pandemic. Some also believe that, only the Federal Government are not helping matters and should be blamed while citizens are to be left out of the equation.

People who are in the later school of thought are convinced that, the rules that are laid down by the government is what the masses ought to follow.

We saw what played out on Monday 4th of May 2020 particularly in Lagos and Abuja when the government had ordered the easing of lock down, banks were crowded with customers and bus stations were congested with commuters. Majority of these people were not wearing nose masks, hand glove and observing social distancing.

After all the announcements and enlightenment done by the Federal Government, Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and other bodies.

According to the presidential address on 13th April 2020, the social register (the social investment program) was extended from 2.6 million homes to 3.6 million homes and according to www.worldpopulationreview.com live review as at 6:00PM, Nigeria had a population of 205,515,889 (two hundred and five million, five hundred and fifteen thousand, eight hundred and eighty-nine) people. How will this plan cover or suffice for the citizens when approximately 21 (twenty-one) million Nigerians are jobless according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)?

It is disheartening to see people negligent about the Corona Virus disease as a lot of Nigerians were going outside their houses for no reason just to take advantage of the easing of the stay at home order giving by the Federal Government, thereby giving the excuse that there is no food at home, they have to work.

Please who is working or which work is going at this point in time? On the other hand, why will the government ease the lock down when the number of infected cases of COVID-19 is rapidly increasing?

As at 19th May 2020, the number of infected cases had exceeded six thousand (6,000). The Government is supposed to make provision for enough palliative and relief materials to enable citizens to stay indoors. Is the Government truly helping Matters?

In a country like Nigeria where there is Cashless Policy, Majority of citizens are yet to comply because the charges on transactions are on the high side. Government on their own part should have put a temporal stop to charges while citizens stay indoors. A lot of Nigerians prefer to do cash transactions rather than cashless transactions just to save cost and not considering safety and security.

On the ban on interstate travel, a lot of Nigerians are still traveling, report has it that they pay bribe to officials on the highway in order to allow them continue their journey. Are Nigerians truly helping matters?

Market Prices of foodstuff have increased, even the cost of sachet water has increased as well this is not from producers but from wholesalers and retailers just to take advantage of the lock-down.

To this end, I am asking you the reader of this article, from the C0VID-19 perspective, who are not helping matters between the government and the citizens? Kindly share your opinion.

https://readerslogue.com.ng/covid-19-between-the-citizens-and-the-federal-government/