Lockdown Order: Many will Die of Hunger

The Presidential directives for a lockdown of the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja), Lagos and Ogun States may lead to untoward starvations and death. Many residents, interviewed in the FCT by RootsTVNigeria have said.

Buhari imposed the lockdown during his nationwide broadcast on Sunday saying, “based on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC, I am directing the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11 pm on Monday, 30th March 2020.

“This restriction will also apply to Ogun State due to its proximity to Lagos and the high traffic between the two States.”

He urged all citizens in these areas to stay in their homes, adding that travel to or from other states should be postponed.

However, less than 24-hours after the lockdown order came into effect, many Nigerians in the FCT have started groaning about its impact on their daily lives.

RootstvNigeria observed that there was partial compliance to the lockdown while some residents and shop owners in some locations visited in the FCT were still going about their normal businesses.

This Lockdown Cannot be Sustainable

RootstvNigeria crew visited Mpape, a suburb in the FCT to check the mood of the area and the compliance rate. It was observed that while there was presence of security personnel at strategic locations to enforce the lockdown order, Motorbikes and some shop owners were opened for businesses.

“People have listened to the instructions and have decided to stay at home, my worry is the sustainability, people may not be able to sustain it due to the fact that we have a large number of Nigerians whose means of livelihood depends on day to day activities so they may not be able to survive with the lockdown order. That’s why you’re seeing a couple of motorbikes moving around and I’m sure by evening, a couple of people will come out to come and hustle for how they’ll put food on their table.” Abiola Abdulrasheed, a Mpape resident said in an interview with RootstvNigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in his nationwide address promised that residents of satellite and commuter towns and communities around Lagos and Abuja whose livelihoods will be affected by some of these restrictive measures that they will be supplied with relief materials to ease their pains in the coming weeks. However, a check by RootstvNigeria at Mpape showed that there was no presence of relief materials from the government to the residents.

For Ofor Eze, he had to trek from Life Camp to Utako, that is a distance of 4 kilometre due to the shutdown. He complained in an emotionally laden interview with RootstvNigeria that with the shutdown, his means of livelihood has been truncated and the government did not provide any palliatives to cushion the effect of the lockdown.

“I trekked from Life Camp to Utako Market, I didn’t see any motor, I also trekked from Utako to Berger, no movement as well….how person go chop, before you announce shutdown, you have to provide something for people…no food to eat, how will one survive? This doesn’t make sense”. Eze lamented.

Its Life as Usual in Parts of Lugbe

Unlike Mpape where most shops were locked, a visit to Lugbe, a suburb of the FCT along Umaru Musa Yar’adua Expressway (also known as Airport Road) showed that there was no restriction of movement and most makeshift shops and bars were opened for businesses.

RootstvNigeria’s attempt to seek audience with some of the residents that gathered at one of the bars was vehemently resisted and attempts were also made to mob the crew.

Will Nigerians Revolt?

With the current situation around the country most especially in the FCT, some intelligence agencies have predicted that there might hunger riots and other social upheavals of unimaginable consequences. How will the Federal Government prevent this is the question on the lips of many concerned Nigerians.

President Buhari, in his nationwide broadcast admitted that his government was aware of the hardship the lockdown was going to bring to many citizens but said Nigerians must be ready to ‘put aside’ their personal comfort in the drive to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

“We are fully aware that such measures will cause much hardship and inconvenience to many citizens. But this is a matter of life and death if we look at the dreadful daily toll of deaths in Italy, France and Spain.

“Some of these measures will surely cause major inconveniences to many citizens. But these are sacrifices we should all be willing and ready to make for the greater good of our country.

“However, we must all see this as our national and patriotic duty to control and contain the spread of this virus. I will, therefore, ask all of us affected by this order to put aside our personal comfort to safeguard ourselves and fellow human beings. This common enemy can only be controlled if we all come together and obey scientific and medical advice.

“As we remain ready to enforce these measures, we should see this as our individual contribution in the war against COVID-19. Many other countries have taken far stricter measures in a bid to control the spread of the virus with positive results.” The President said in his nationwide broadcast.

The Personal Assistant to the President on New Media, Bashir Ahmad in a tweet on Monday disclosed that “as at February 29^th, 2020, the Federal Government has identified 10,695,360 individuals in 35 states across the country as the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians, during this crisis of #COVID19 pandemic adding that the President has also directed the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to look and take care of them.”

However, public affairs analysts are worried about how the Federal Government will access the vulnerable Nigerians in the moment of the lockdown.