Kate Halim, Vivian Onyebukwa And Vera Wisdom-Bassey
Following the Federal Government’s decision to relax the lockdown from Monday, May 4, Nigerians in Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja had a measure of freedom after staying indoor for five weeks. However, it is not yet Uhuru, as the country is still recording alarming number of COVID-19 cases.
Hence, the imperative of imposing a set of health protocols to be observed by all and sundry. The regulations outlined by President Muhammadu Buhari in his address were also echoed by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu alongside other preventive protocols to be observed by citizens.
The rules are in line with measures adopted globally to check the spread of novel COVID-19, including compulsory use of face mask by those stepping outside their homes, strict observance of social and physical distancing, use of hand sanitizer and reduction of number of passengers aboard commercial transporters.
The results of a Saturday Sun survey of Lagos metropolis were not encouraging.
Transporters’s impunity
The primary culprits were transporters, especially the danfo (bus) drivers plying Cele-Oshodi expressway. Buses were seen filled with the usual number of passengers. Likewise, tricycles (Keke Marwa) along Ijesha road were conveying four passengers instead of two as approved by the government. This level of non-compliance was worrisome to some citizens.
“If government were to announce another lockdown this time around, I will support them, because from what I am seeing, people are carefree concerning this COVID-19 pandemic,” said Okon Asuquo, a trader. “They are not ready to cooperate with the government to stop the spread of this deadly disease. They are not ready to obey the rules. If we don’t take time, this thing will spread like wildfire and we will be in trouble.”
Dorcas Benson who works in a pharmaceutical company had been going to work as an essential worker. She decried the careless attitude of the public since the lockdown was eased. “I saw so many tricycles out there probably because doctors said the tricycles are more proper for transit at this time, but I have seen that people are not adhering to the social distancing principle after entering the buses,” she said, noting that, “social distancing is impossible in this Lagos, it is non-achievable, it is better we go back to the lockdown.”
The non-compliance by bus drivers is the reason Frances Kuti, an artisan, has not been able to go and deliver a customer’s goods.
“I was so scared when I came out and saw so many people,” he said. “I have decided never to go anywhere by bus again till I see that the numbers have reduced.”
He agreed with Benson that it will be better to enforce another lockdown if the number of cases continues to increase.
At Iyana-Iba along Mile2-Badagry expressway, commercial drivers flagrantly broke the rules and for the most part of the days were at loggerheads with officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA.
A LASTMA official who refused to mention his name lamented: “The commercial drivers are not totally complying with the rules and guidelines given by the state governor,” he ranted, claiming that their compliance with the physical distance rule was barely 40%.
He noted that he hadn’t seen any driver using sanitiser or giving such to their passengers. “We have been having it tough with the drivers since Monday,” he affirmed.
Similarly, a Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) official also claimed it has been a tough task getting drivers to observe the rules.
“The approved seating arrangement is one person in the front row and three in other rows. We are compelling those who carry more than the required passengers to return their fare and drop the extra passengers. That is the only enforcement we are doing here.”
As for the provision of hand sanitisers by drivers for passengers’ use, he said that was difficult to enforce: “Almost all of them do not operate from any specific car park; mostly, they just pick passengers on the road. However, we want to talk to their (NURTW) chairman to pass the message to them.”
Passengers enforcing the rule
There are many instances where passengers compelled drivers to abide by the safety rule. An example of this was witnessed by Saturday Sun reporter at Barracks bus stop along the Mile 2-Badagry expressway. Passengers in the bus resisted an attempt by the driver to pick more passengers at the bus stop. Despite that one of the new passengers was a pregnant woman, those in the bus insisted that she should join the next vehicle as their bus had already reached its maximum capacity based on the new regulation. Despite her plea, the passengers stood their ground and ensured that she joined the next vehicle that was just filling up.
This is one instance of passengers compelling other passengers and drivers to obey the seating arrangements meant to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Chaos at the banks
How people conducted themselves at the banks was another disheartening scene. The premises of some of the banks visited by Saturday Sun were chaotic, as a mass of rowdy customers struggled to get into the banking halls. The rule of physical distancing was violated by the push-and-shove mob. What was worse, a lot of them were without face masks.
This trend, first observed at banks located along Okota in Isolo, prevailed at other banks on Lawanson and Ijesha Road, both in Surulere.
On further inquiry, Saturday Sun discovered that most of those that besieged the banks were there to get new ATM cards. One of them, a young man who identified himself as Jonas said: “During the lockdown, I ran out of cash, and I didn’t have ATM card, so it was difficult for me to withdraw money as banks were not working. It was only those that have ATM cards that were able to withdraw money with their cards. That is why I am struggling to get one before the government would announce another lockdown, because the rate at which this COVID-19 pandemic is spreading, the government might decide to impose another lockdown. Can’t you see how they are pushing each other just to enter into the banking hall? There is a very big problem. We can’t continue like this, else, we will all perish like some foreign countries as a result of Coronavirus pandemic.”
A woman, who refused to disclose her identity, also lamented at the way people flout the rules with impunity. “It’s annoying that people are not observing the principle of social distancing. Some are not putting on facemasks, while some are not even using their facemask right. They barely cover their noses and mouths,” she railed. According to her, she would prefer that the lockdown continues instead of endangering everybody.
Innocent Okoro, another customer at one of the banks, expressed disappointment over people’s poor attitude towards the whole issue.
“I live at Ijesha, but I decided to trek from my house to Okota this morning so as to avoid any physical contact with anybody, but on getting to this place I discovered that most people don’t even understand the situation of things in this country. No face mask, no physical distancing. At this rate, we may be doomed in this country”.
Aduke Folami, who had gone to the bank on Monday expressed her dismay at her experience. “I went to the bank near my house, just a few minutes’ walk. When I got to the bank and saw the crowd, I just turned back and went home,” she said.
She believed joining the queue would likely endanger her and also defeat the essence of obeying the lockdown for the past five weeks. “I’d stay in my house and study the figures till this whole thing is over, but I’d keep contacting my bank via the designated platforms, maybe before then, the issue I wanted resolved would be attended to,” she said.
Markets complied
In Festac Town, a degree of compliance was evident. At Agboju Market on 23rd Road, the days of market activities stipulated by the state governor was rigidly observed. On Monday, May 4, only non-food selling stalls were opened. The left side of the market, which is the section for edibles, was conspicuously shut.
A tricycle driver plying 7th Avenue, told Saturday Sun that authorities in the district are strict about compliance with regard to those operating commercial vehicles, especially tricycles, which are the primary mode of transport in the area.
He gave an instance of a man who was caught flouting the rule earlier in the day: “The people they caught in the morning were taken to the police station. Among them was a man carrying his family members only. They were asked to pay a fine of N1,500; and if they failed to pay the money, by evening they would have to pay N5000 to secure the release of their vehicle.”