₦airaland Forum

There was panic buying across markets in Kano metropolis yesterday as the state goes on seven days lockdown beginning from today. Our reporters also observed massive turnout at ATM points as bank customers besiege their bankers for withdrawal ahead of the week-long total lockdown.

It would be recalled that Kano State Government on Tuesday announced that markets and worship centres across the state would be put on total halt for seven days beginning from 10pm today to curb and contain the spread of coronavirus among the public. It is on record that as at yesterday the state’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 have risen to nine, since from the time the index case was recorded last Saturday.

Some residents who were on the last minute purchases told Daily Trust that prices of foodstuff and other basic commodities have skyrocketed ahead of the lockdown. MC Ibrahim Sharuh khan, who was at Sahad stores for shopping ahead of the lockdown decried the sudden increase in the price of commodities and foodstuff across the markets. He said “I was actually planning to stock food stuff for the month of Ramadan, but with the sudden announcement of the lockdown, people are rushing to buy for fear of the unknown, and that is why I am here to shop.”

“I was at the Yankaba market and the price of items has also gone up. For instance, a measure of Irish potato that we used to buy for N5,000 is now N7,000; that of N1,500 is now N2,000, same thing with yam tubers,” he said. Hajiya Hafsat blamed the sudden price increase on the marketers who unnecessarily increase the prices of commodities, just to maximize profit at the expense of the consumers. “Barely 24 hours, the price of 25 litres cooking oil was N12,500 but today it has been increased to N14,000.

This is something they already have in stores, why should they take undue advantage of this terrible situation by increasing prices of items?” she queried. However, some of the residents lamented about the lockdown, describing it as a measure aiming at inflicting more hardship and pains on the poor masses especially those living on daily wages. Malam Rabiu Isa, a grocery seller at Tarauni Market told Daily Trust that, “For people that live from hand-to-mouth, just like me, the seven days lockdown order is torture for the poor.”

Babangida Shua’ibu Mohammad, another trader shared the same opinion saying “If palliatives are not given to the poor and vulnerable families with utmost urgency, more people in the state will die of hunger.” Abubakar Aliyu Tarauni on his part said “We have seen several epidemics and dangerous diseases including malaria, cholera and many more deadly outbreaks but we have never had a total lockdown as this coronavirus era. Stopping someone that survives from daily earnings is an infringement on the human rights,” he said.

Governor Babajide O. Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has explained the mode of distribution of the state government’s food relief package and the category of beneficiaries, saying it is not meant for all residents of the state. The welfare package is one of the decisions taken by the Lagos State Executive Council to ease the discomfort that the lockdown announced by the federal government has visited on residents, especially the poor ones who earn daily income.

Numerous accusations, complaints and criticisms have, however, trailed the relief package as many residents alleged bias and lies in its distribution. Sanwo-Olu, giving an update on the issue yesterday, re-emphasised that the first stage of the welfare package was designed to cater for 200,000 households, with each household comprising a father, mother and four children only across the 20 local governments and 37 local council development authorities (LCDA).

The governor posited it was a misconception that the package was meant for all residents in the state. He clarified that the package was targeted at only indigent and vulnerable members of the society and disclosed that about 100,000 households across the state had been reached since the exercise started. He said, “All aged residents who are above 60 years of age and are registered with the Lagos State Residents’ Registration Agency (LASRRA) were sent text messages and requested to confirm the accuracy of their details, such as name and home address. They have since responded to the text messages so as to benefit from the package.”

He said that the food relief materials for those above 60 years were being delivered directly to them by representatives of the state government based on the data with LASRRA. He explained further that the other category of beneficiaries comprised the indigent and vulnerable in the various communities at the grassroots.

“As part of strategies to ensure that the relief packages reach the deserving beneficiaries, the state government involved Community Development Associations (CDAs) and their Committees, as well as community and religious leaders to collate the names of community members who deserve to benefit from the palliative measure.

The CDAs were also tasked to ensure the items were judiciously distributed,” he said. Confirming that the state government had observed some lapses that gave rise to the negative comments about the distribution on some social media platforms, Sanwo-Olu assured the residents that the problems identified were being addressed and the distribution strategies being fine-tuned.

He appealed to the residents to remain confident that the state government was working hard to ensure that the vulnerable benefit from the “laudable” intervention.

Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, on Sunday said the lockdown in the state owing to COVID-19 may be extended for another two weeks, if necessary. He disclosed that 109 out of the 127 Abidjan returnees quarantined and tested to determine their status have been released from the isolation centre. The governor said one of the first two cases in the state has fully recovered, also tested negative twice and have been released. Speaking in Osogbo on Sunday, Oyetola said the 109 returnees tested negative to Coronavirus and that the remaining 18 that tested positive are receiving treatment and are in good condition.

Oyetola said the lockdown in the state may be extended if necessary as he appealed to the people of Osun to endure the lockdown. The governor said the 21-member relief committee he set up was working on modalities for the distribution of relief materials to the people of the state. The governor said one of the infected patients who absconded from the facility did not mingle with the residents, adding that there’s no fear that the patient infected anyone within the period she left the facility. The governor said[b], “that patient that left our facility in Ejigbo couldn’t infect anyone because the people of the community shut their doors against her. They didn’t allow her to enter their homes. That was why it was easy to apprehend and return her to the treatment facility.”[/b] Oyetola said the 127 returnees were from different parts of the country and Osun saved Nigeria from major disaster by ensuring that the 127 returnees did not go to their respective state.

“Upon profiling, we realised that many of the returnees are from different states. For instance, two of them are from Abia state. But we took responsibility and treated all of them. “It would have been disastrous if the 127 people were allowed to move to their various states and mix with people in their respective communities when they came into the country”, he added. Oyetola debunked the rumour that the federal government has released N5billion to Osun to manage COVID-19, saying “I wish I could have that. But I don’t have it. I’m just hearing about it”.

The governor urged the federal government to assist Osun in its efforts to prevent the further spread of the disease. Meanwhile, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi has debunked the insinuation that there was panic in his domain when the Iwo indigenes among the Abidjan returnees that were released from the isolation were reintegrated with their relatives. He said the returnees who are indigenes of Iwo were welcomed home and received with joy. He commended the state government for the proactive steps taken to prevent the spread of the virus in the state.

The federal government on Saturday night got the first batch of medical supplies in the fight against the spread of Coronavirus pandemic and for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Air Peace aircraft, Boeing 777 with registration number, 5N-BWI landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja from Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday night. It was learnt that the flight left Nigeria early Saturday for the seven hours flight to Turkey and was able to lift the supplies and returned to Nigeria before midnight. The source also disclosed that this was the first batch of the medical supplies from the federal government, noting that the airline would leave for China Monday 6th April for another batch of medical supplies from the federal government.

“Air Peace will also deliver another supplies for the federal government. It will leave for Beijing on Monday for 15 hours non-stop flight to China with its B777-ER with registration number 5N-BE,” the source said. The Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace, Mrs. Toyin Olajide commended the federal government for its efforts to rid the coronavirus disease from Nigeria, noting that the Nigerian government is way ahead of some countries in the fight against the virus, which is devastating mankind.

“The management of Air Peace commends the federal government for being proactive in the preparation for emergencies, preventing the spread of the virus and also providing the kits and other medical equipment for the treatment of those infected by the pandemic. This shows that government is ready to fight this disease and it is even more prepared than the governments of some of the advanced nations in the measures and strategies adopted to eradicate the virus,” Olajide said.

T[b]he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has directed its members across the country to intensify their efforts in providing assistance to vulnerable Nigerians in their neighborhood to further mitigate the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 lockdown directives.[/b] The PDP also asked the federal government to bring in the hands used in winning the battle against the Ebola virus disease as well as commission indigenous manufacturers, especially auto and equipment producers, to concert effort towards production of ventilators and other equipment needed in the fight against the pandemic.

The PDP in a statement on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan also called on more Nigerians to join public-spirited individuals and groups in extending assistance to vulnerable citizens in the overall effort to contain and check the spread of the pandemic in the country. The PDP said its call is against the backdrop of the failure of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration “to shelve its greed and corruption and make adequate provisions for social palliatives and other panaceas to Nigerians, despite the immense resources at its disposal.”

Stating that its position is also in line with its manifesto and guiding principles to ensure the security, wellbeing and happiness of all citizens, irrespective of creed, ethnicity and political persuasion, the PDP called on all Nigerians to look beyond primordial considerations and join forces to defeat the virus. “The party therefore urges Nigerians to use this time to further display their spirit of brotherly care by assisting vulnerable persons around them particularly the aged, the unemployed as well as individuals and families whose means of livelihood had been crippled for the restriction directives.

“Furthermore, the PDP laments as worrisome, that at a time as this, the APC and its government would remain lethargic and allow sheer incompetence, greed, avarice and primitive corruption to continue to constrict it into unnecessary parochialism in the handling of effort against the spread of COVID-19 in our country. “Our party also bemoans the lack of accountability and the manifest sleaze in the disbursement of financial palliatives with allegations of diversion of billion of naira to private purses to the detriment of poor Nigerians. Indeed, such is not the way to go,” the PDP said.

“The party therefore urged the Federal Government to be transparent and involve more capable Nigerian medical experts, researchers as well as equipment manufacturers to assist in checking the spread of the pandemic in our country,” the party said.