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COVID-19: Total lockdown on Plateau state for fumigation is an
exaggeration, say traders, artisans.
By Dickson Gupiya
April 08, 2020.
Following the COVID-19
pandemic and the declaration of Governor Simon Lalong on Monday of his government’s
intention to Lockdown the state totally for fumigation, some petty traders and
artisans have faulted the governor's decision describing it as needless and
insensitive to the plight of the people. African
Drum went round town, met with business owners in Jos North and Jos South
Local Government Areas respectively and mostly petty traders sampled their
views on the decision of Government for a total Lockdown on the state for seven
days to enable for fumigation. In their separate submissions, the artisans said
that the decision of the government would hit them the most taken into
cognizance that they depend on income from daily activities for survival adding
that the total Lockdown for 7 days without corresponding palliative measures to cushion
the effect of the lockdown was an ill wind that would surely blow them badly.
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| Daniel AKA Hollywood, tailor |
Traders
in Bukuru, Gyero road, Gyel, Dadin Kowa and Hwolshe in Jos South LGAs and those
in Farin Gada, Gada Biyu, Terminus, Anguwan Rukuba, Dilimi and Nasarawa Filin
Ball all in Jos North LGAs wondered why it was imperative to Lockdown the state
totally for fumigation when some local government in the state have fumigated
their areas without having to Lockdown.
They
were however, unanimous in commending the government for the measures taken so
far to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 which has yielded positive result as
the state still records zero case of the dreaded virus.
"The
Lockdown for fumigation is not necessary. We appreciate what the governor has
done in other to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including the decision to fumigate
the state. It is a good idea but it does not call for total Lockdown. Again,
the state government is not sensitive to the plight of its citizens. The
economy of Plateau state is micro and over 90 percent of the people of the
state survive on day to day activities. To Lockdown this type of economy
without palliative measures is not fair", said Chimezie ugwo, who runs a
chemist in Dadin Kowa.
"It's
like the government is against the poor man. Could it be that because top
government officials and high ranking politicians are mostly the victims of the
Coronavirus that they have decided to vent their anger by coming with such
directives to deal with the common man?", asked Haruna Bilyaminu, a dealer
in fairly used vehicle tyres in Dilimi. "Our government sometimes thinks
upside down. This is another move by it to punish the poor man", said
Maryam Dalyop, food stuff seller in Bukuru. "This total Lockdown for
fumigation doesn't make sense. Fumigation is good even if not for COVID-19 but
that can be done without shutting down everything", Obed Nankim, a plumber
and resident of Kabong, Gada Biyu. "We are in serious trouble. How can a
person like me cope up for 7 days? It is only when I go out every other day
that I am be able raise something to feed my family with", Grace Haruna,
grain seller in Farin Gada said. "I will continue praying and looking up
to God for me and my family to survive, because we lived on what I earned
daily. Now government is saying I should not come out for 7 days without any
support from the government, how then would I and family survive?" Musa
Inusa, a cobbler asked rhetorically.
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| Joseph Auta, trader |
Also
speaking, a popular tailor and one of the oldest in city of Jos, Daniel Igwe,
popularly known as Hollywood also posed series of rhetorical questions.
"What is the essence of fumigating since no case of the COVID-19 has been
recorded in the state? And if there is any reason to fumigate, why must
government Lockdown the state totally? Why can't the fumigation be carried out
between the hours of say, 10pm to 6am through out the days government has
earmarked for the exercise? The effect of the partial Lockdown is negatively
impacting on us and now the government has decided to Lockdown totally without
taking into account the plight of the citizens of the state who make their
living from day to day engagement is unfortunate," he said.
In
his submission, Markus Babangida, a trader at the popular Terminus market said
that though government has done well by coming up with preventive measures, the
lockdown for purpose of fumigation was needless. "A local government in
this state few weeks ago fumigated its local areas without having to Lockdown
so why is it different in this case? The worst and most unfortunate is that
there is no provision for palliative measures. Is the government no longer in
place for the people any more? Where is the constitutional obligation of
government to the people?"
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| Muhammad Ahmad, Vulcanizer |
Joseph
Auta, a shop owner at West of mines said the exercise if not handled with care
may lead to increase in crime rate and called on the authority to deploy enough
security personnel to all business areas for effective and adequate protection.
Mohammed Ahmed is a vulcanizer at Farin Gada. According to him, “total Lockdown
is pure injustice to the masses. We were told no case of coronavirus has been
recorded in Jos, so, why the total Lockdown for fumigation? Again, is this
going to be a routine exercise or what? I need to ask these questions because
government doesn't seem to value its citizens which is why they don't engage us
on policy formulations and in taking decisions. Please, let me ask you, is it
right for government to Lockdown the entire state for one week without
considering its citizens by way of measures to ameliorate the hardship they
would go through within the period? I am a vulcanizer and a family man. How do
I cope within the period for the lockdown?"
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| Markus Babangida, Bussinessman |
The
decision of Plateau state government for a total Lockdown on Plateau state for
one week in other to fumigate the state had received knocks. Apart from blaming
the government of its inability to come up with palliative measures to cushion
the effect of the lockdown, many observers have also accused the government of
just announcing the decision without following it up with necessary information
to the citizens on protocol for fumigation.
Experts
have posited that it is dangerous to the health of the people to go into
fumigation of an area without doing air sampling analysis of the affected areas,
what chemicals to use which also formed part of the protocol. This is the kind
of information is in short supply to the people of the state which is their
rights to know.
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