Lagos is the only place that the government will declare a lockdown and people will respond with ‘ni bo?’
The instruction was simple. Stay in your house if the thing you’re going to do outside; does not add or remove from somebody’s life. But this one was story for the gods. People heard the instruction. However, they chose to keep moving around as if nothing is happening in the world.
I had to ask myself why we are acting like this and defying the lockdown. Subsequently, I came up with a few possible reasons.
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The first one is strong confidence. That gra gra type that pushes you to believe that nothing can happen.
I don’t have anything against being confident. I truly don’t. My own is that you know where the strength of that ginger should start and stop. A virus that can choose to give warning signs or not is flying about town and you’re forming; “just drink ‘omi ewuro’ every day and go where you are going. Nothing will happen to you”?
A virus that even if it wants to warn you; it can start by looking like malaria until you choke to death is what we want to play with? Is this one not misplaced gra gra like this?
Maybe it is not just confidence. Maybe it is also our usual disregard for authorities. Yeah, this might be what is responsible for the flagrant disregard for the lockdown.
It might be why people chose to turn sections of a major expressway into an aerobics exercise ground. People that probably don’t know the difference between a jumping jack and a burpee; suddenly decide they want to join fitfam. Na wa!
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Folks, this is not the time to explore gaining new outdoorsy hobbies. Please stay inside and comply with the lockdown. Whatever mixture of human emotions that are making us ignore the lockdown order; is not strong enough to provide immunity against viruses and the like.
Another reason is hunger.
The larger population in Lagos need to work daily for their food. The man that repairs shoes close to my estate gate said; “Madam, na who dey alive dey fear virus. I go first find food chop before I dey run from wetin I no sabi”.
Did he lie?
No.
So, I nodded in agreement and walked away.
Here’s an appeal to you. Help others if you can do it. These are hard times and some people can’t afford to stay locked down because they need to feed. Giving is not easy but if you can afford to share what you have, please do it.
As for those who still think immunity is a function of skin colour and faith: all the best. But do others the favour of washing your hands, cleaning all regularly touched surfaces and staying indoors; unless it is absolutely necessary to go out.
I agree with you on many counts, however we must not disregard the fact that a lot of people are still grossly uninformed about the virus. I still hear people being interviewed on the news saying things like “this Corona whatever”.
Also, the major thing here is hunger. A high percentage of Nigerians live hand to mouth. The truth is that Lagos cannot afford a lockdown. It’s just not feasible. People will still roam about, except the country employs sheer force and violence, which will then defeat the aim of keeping people alive.
People are hungry, and we as a nation have dealt with much worse than Covid-19. The Nigeria-Biafra war killed more people in the nation than this virus has killed worldwide.
When a person has survived and still survives unimaginable hardships on a day to day basis, the person loses their sensitivity.
You can’t tell a hustler to sit in fear of a virus. They already live with waterborne diseases, poverty, insecurity, fear every single day.