At ourworldgist, we are always interested in the trending issues thus, when we learnt that the Federal Government of Nigeria is planning another #lockdown to curtail the spread of the second wave of COVID-19, we immediately called on our content Developer, Sani Michael Omakoji, to share his opinion with us.
In what Sani Michael Omakoji titles: ” Lockdown Is Not A Solution To Second Wave Of COVID-19 Pandemic, he explains thus:
” I think the federal government is not getting it right by thinking of another #Lockdown after a dehumanizing and an agonizing first #Lockdown where some people were starved to death because of lack of food.
Yes, like other responsible Nations, Nigeria do have a special agency ( Nigerian Centre For Disease Control ) that is taking the statistics of COVID-19 causality but lack similar special agency in taking statistics of those dying of hunger in Nigeria.
You may call Ministry like Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, as well as National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to be in charge of this but sadly, this Ministry and agency respectively thrives more on media and paper than in reality.
Well, that is another topic for another day as we are at the moment looking at the proposed Federal Government ‘s decision to embark on another #Lockdown.
Now, if this pandemic continues to stay with us till 2030 or even more, so we continue to embark on perpetual #Lockdown till then?
Don’t we think that this move has adverse affect that can lead to quantum of death ?
Come to think of it, how will the Artisans who earn a living from the daily hustle survive most especially that Government has no accurate data of this category of people to give palliative?
How will those in private sector who go on compulsory leave without pay survive the #lockdown?
You may talk of leveraging on the survival fund initiative by the federal government but again, how many of those working with the private sector are captured in this programme?
For your information, less than 300,000 people are captured on the survival fund across the 36 states of the federation plus FCT as at today being 9th January 2021.
This is just a fractional figure of Nigeria population of about 250million people.
Even though there is room for expansion of the programme as advanced by the vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, do you think that that figure is enough representative to embark on another #Lockdown?
Though, the #lockdown is of no serious effect on government’s workforce as they remain liabilities to the government because whether they work or not Government must pay them: No wonders, almost everyone is looking for white collar job.
If I have to be frank here: people dying of hunger or severe poverty in this Nation are more than those daily report we are getting from NCDC.
At this point, let me say that #Lockdown is not a solution to second wave of COVID-19 pandemic but learn to stay with the pandemic.
How do we learn to stay with the pandemic?
Well, it is simple! First of all, let us accept the unfortunate reality that COVID-19 is like any other infection like: HIV AIDS, Ebola and Bird-Flu, that we have whistled in the past and still whistling today.
Secondly, we must learn to adhere to COVID-19 protocols such as the use of hand sanitizers in both public places and private homes, wearing of nose mask, avoid touching of nose, maintain social distance, avoid crowded places, and frequent watching of hands with clean water.
Finally, health officers along side security operatives should be deployed to strategic places to ensure proper awareness and strict compliance”.
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Sani Michael Omakoji
Content Developer/ Public Affairs Analyst
