{"id":7755,"date":"2020-03-31T07:53:34","date_gmt":"2020-03-31T07:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/?p=7755"},"modified":"2020-03-31T07:53:39","modified_gmt":"2020-03-31T07:53:39","slug":"covid-19-lockdown-citizens-groan-beg-for-palliatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/?p=7755","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 LOCKDOWN: Citizens groan, beg for palliatives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Shutting<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

LAGOS \u2014 IT was lamentations galore, yesterday, as citizens braced up for the lock-down of Lagos, Ogun and Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja as announced by President Muhammadu Buhari during his broadcast on Sunday evening to tackle the raging COVID-19 pandemic. No fewer than 13 states are currently observing one form of restriction or the other and many markets have been closed. Indeed, as citizens struggled to make last-minute purchases before the 11pm lock-down deadline, there were huge queues on many ATM points in Lagos, yesterday, which could quicken the spread of the Coronavirus and make nonsense of the social distancing preventive measure. Meanwhile, in response to clarion call to fight COVID-19 pandemic, major transport companies across the country have suspended operations. Also, some citizens, who were stranded at various borders in Onitsha, Asaba, and Agbor recounted their woes and prayed for a quick end to the COVID-19 scourge. We did a journey of 7 hours in 30 hours Mr. Chukwuma Okaro, who was stranded at Onitsha, Asaba and Agbor for over 14 hours said: \u201dI thank God for surviving the ordeal. I got to Ontisha at 9 am on Sunday and we were delayed till 5.30 pm before we were allowed to pass. We were also stopped at Agbor and delayed till 5am, yesterday. We managed to get to Lagos at 12 noon. So, a journey of seven hours took over 30 hours.\u201d Buhari\u00a0 can\u2019t lock-down Lagos and Ogun without palliatives Second Republic politician and lawyer, Chief Guy Ikokwu, picked holes in the lock-down of Lagos and Ogun states without provisions for the citizenry. His words: \u201dGeneral Buhari\u00a0 cannot just lock down Lagos and Ogun without the necessary palliatives, funding or food wise in a secure situation. He is dealing with human beings and not animals. They should also put on their caps instead of face masks as the virus does not segregate or discriminate or avoid prestigious locations. We must have existential and strategic equations as a fair remedy for all. \u201dI am concerned about further two weeks lock-down of Lagos and Ogun states\u00a0 without real Federal Government\u00a0 palliatives while threats of insecurity persist. \u201dNow, Boko Haram has threatened to attack the South-East. We must remain vigilant and not take things for granted. We should critically study the ongoing economic and biochemical clashes between the Western and Eastern nations. From the millennial creation of humans and animals it has been wars and bickering everywhere and survival of the fittest in the name of civilisation. Cannibalism is a natural strategy\u00a0 for survival. We have to adumbrate our own survival strategy.\u201d A host of Vanguard online followers shared similar thoughts. One of them, Funmilola Adeyale, said: \u201dQueue at the bank was too long. Prices of everything are almost double. We are in it now.\u201d In like manner, Irene U Kelvin said:\u00a0 \u201dI feel for the three states mentioned for lock-down because many are not prepared but God will help us since our president forgot that staying at home without food kills faster than the virus.\u201d Isaac Sunday tearfully lamented:\u00a0 \u201dTo be frank I\u2019m not even opportuned to stock my little cupboard with food stuffs and now I\u2019m thinking how I\u2019m going to survive this for the said number of days.\u201d Ndubueze Newton Orji concurred: \u201dBefore the fourteen days you will hear stories. You people in government have got it all wrong for not crediting our accounts before this lockdown. In your mind do you think you are saving us or that you are killing us?\u201d Also, Ameh Daniel Mathew said: \u201dPlease, I want government to come to my aid to rescue some of my neighbours who are busy begging me since yesterday to help them with food after the\u00a0 pronouncement. Most of my neighbours depend on daily hustle how will they survive this 14 days here in Jikwoyi Abuja?\u201d To Raphael Maduabum: \u201dFood prices have\u00a0 sky-rocketed here and personally I have no money. Let the Government at all levels be more responsive and humane to the plight of vulnerable masses of our country.\u201d Prince Bright Iheanacho\u00a0 described the policy as brainless saying: \u201dHow will you lock-down without providing people with food, how would the people get money to buy food during the lock down?\u201d Ifeanyi Francis Okaka averred: \u201dIt is not going to be funny frankly speaking because here in Lagos many are not prepared because nothing much to use and stock at home. Things are expensive now and there is no cash. The president should please do something.\u201d Simon Leon said: \u201dThose people in government are heartless, how can you call for lock-down without providing surviving means for ordinary Nigerians?\u201d Eguakhide Emmanuel said: \u201dThis will not work! Other countries that gave such successful order; gave her people food and cash.\u201d Ebuka Okorie agreed with Eguakhide. \u201dHonestly, I am not locking any down. How do you expect a hungry man to lock himself up? No Food, no Money. Items have sky-rocketed.\u201d To Ola Sunday: \u2018 The fact that Lagos state concurred with the president to go on total lock-down will become another pandemonium because of today\u2019s crowd. Almost every mall around my vicinity had been hitherto maintaining the less than 20 population but today were over crowded and this may eventually cause another surge in COVID-19 infection.\u201d \u00a0 Transport companies suspend operations In response to clarion call to fight COVID-19 pandemic, major transport companies across the country have suspended operations. Most of the transport companies visited by Vanguard in Lagos had been shut down before the Federal Government\u2019s directive restricting movement in some states. Most of the companies refused to speak on record. However, they said they would do everything within their power to support the government in the fight against the deadly disease. A\u00a0 leading transport company, ABC Transport Plc, was the first to respond to government call to suspend operations on Thursday. The company said it had suspended all operations for two weeks, in support of the fight against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement, Managing Director of the company, Mr Jude Nneji, said the decision was in support of Federal Government\u2019s fight against the spread of the pandemic in Nigeria.\u201d Nneji said the suspension which will last for 14 days effective Thursday will affect operations nationwide including its movement to other neighbouring West African countries. He said after the 14 days, the company\u2019s management will review the situation to know whether to lift the suspension or extend it. The statement further said: \u201cAs part of our efforts to support the Federal Government\u2019s fight against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, ABC transport Plc, wishes to announce the suspension of all our operations effective Friday, 2020, for a period of 14 days. This measure has become imperative to protect our esteemed customers and staff from the scourge. The company shall continue to review the situation in line with the federal government policies.\u201d Also speaking to Vanguard at its Lagos office, a staff of Imo Transport company said that they took the decision to save lives. The staff who would not like his name in print said:\u00a0 \u201cWe have suspended operations in support of the government\u2019s decision as nobody would like its passengers to sleep on the highway since all borders have been closed. At Maza Maza area of Lagos where many transport companies are located, there were no activities as most of the operators have closed their parks. Some of them said that they were not sure if they would commence business even in the next two weeks time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LAGOS \u2014 IT was lamentations galore, yesterday, as citizens braced up for the lock-down of Lagos, Ogun and Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja as announced by President Muhammadu Buhari during his broadcast on Sunday evening to tackle the raging COVID-19 pandemic. No fewer than 13 states are currently observing one form of restriction or the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nCOVID-19 LOCKDOWN: Citizens groan, beg for palliatives » WatchDog Plus Media<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/?p=7755\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Odofin\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/?p=7755#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Health\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/?cat=6\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"COVID-19 LOCKDOWN: Citizens groan, beg for palliatives\"}]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"COVID-19 LOCKDOWN: Citizens groan, beg for palliatives » WatchDog Plus Media","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/?p=7755","author":"Odofin","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/?p=7755#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Health","item":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/?cat=6"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"COVID-19 LOCKDOWN: Citizens groan, beg for palliatives"}]}]}},"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Odofin","author_link":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/?author=2"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/?cat=6\" rel=\"category\">Health<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"LAGOS \u2014 IT was lamentations galore, yesterday, as citizens braced up for the lock-down of Lagos, Ogun and Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja as announced by President Muhammadu Buhari during his broadcast on Sunday evening to tackle the raging COVID-19 pandemic. No fewer than 13 states are currently observing one form of restriction or the…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7755"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7755"}],"version-history":[{"count":-4,"href":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7755\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}