It’s not a palatable experience for residents of Plateau state over Covid-19 restrictions. MUHAMMAD TANKO SHITTU writes on how the lockdown affects lives generally and agitation for a review.
Plateau state is one among states that do not have many confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) but is among those states whose people were serially kept under lockdown as part of proactive measures put in place by the state government towards mitigating the spread of the disease to community levels. But to many people including the state lawmakers, the measures seems so stringent, therefore they called for a review.
The state governor, Mr Simon Lalong, had from the onset put in place an executive order that declared a partial lockdown, restricting the numbers of people that can attend religious gatherings and social events. Later on, more stringent measures followed with a complete lockdown of the state, including banning inter-states and intra-state movements.
On one hand, while majority of people impressively adhered to the earlier orders, few others did not, some religious leaders were amongst those that mislead their followers in disobedience to the executive orders, untill security operatives waged into the matter.
Highly disturbed by such non-challants attitude of the non compliance, Governor Lalong, couldn’t hesitate in dealing with such individuals as the State Security Services and the police swiftly acted by quizzing some Christians and Islamic clerics by compelling them to comply.
On the other hand, all market places and other businesses remain closed, major streets in the state were deserted. One could recall that even in the days of curfew during the dark days of crises, such compliance were unnoticeable. One could only sight people on essential duties like security personnel, mostly supported by volunteered community vigilante, neighbourhood watch like hunters and others.
Although the volunteered community security outfits, had put on their utmost best at ensuring compliance, they however, cried that besides mere appreciation, the state government has not given them a dime in the form of allowance for their upkeep.
Governor Lalong has however appreciated the people for their high level of compliance, therefore directed the provision of some palliatives to the most needy among the people, but the people including lawmakers said it was not enough to keep the people alive.
“The deputy governor who chairs the palliative committee and his team are working assiduously to ensure that this distribution is carried out in a transparent, equitable and successful manner,” Lalong said.
Effect of the lockdown
But as the measures continue, it inflicts economic hardships on the people, whose daily cries are hinged on the need to do businesses in order to earn a living, hence the request for relaxing the lockdown.
“We appreciate government’s efforts and concern for our collective good health, but disallowing us to do business is yet another big disease that can easily kill because when you are hungry, certain disease can catch up with you,” Alhaji Sani Musa said.
The lawmakers bicker
However, members of the state House of Assembly seemingly agreed that no government can feed its people 100 percent; therefore, they called for quick review of the lockdown orders to allow people open up their business and earn a living.
The lawmakers in a resolution reached after deliberations on matter of urgent public importance canvassed by the majority leader, Hon Daniel Nanlong, during an extraordinary plenary, said the state borders should be properly locked down while the citizens do their businesses within to survive.
He said, “Mr Speaker, there would be serious pressure on the government to meet the demands of not just tackling the pandemic but meeting other needs including payment of salaries.
“It is not sustainable to keep the people hungry at home. While I advocate for the opening of the state economy, people must obey the protocols put in place by the government to stay safe.”
Significantly, former deputy speaker and most ranking member, Rt Hon Ibrahim Baba Hassan, charged Lalong to consider strengthening border closures and allow the people to carry out their normal business.
He said, “The lockdown has implications on both the health and economic lives of my contituents; they are hungry and already dying.”
Hon Hassan said though his constituents have 100 percent complied with the orders which he proudly commended, also not forgetting members of the vigilante and neighbourhood watch for their efforts who were not being given a dime.
“Government alone cannot provide food for the people; no minister, house member can feed his people; we have done our best, but it is as if we hadn’t done anything. The best thing for us is to have total lockdown of our borders and allow the people to come out and do their business.”
The lawmakers spoke in unison in favour of the review at which House speaker, Abok Ayuba, directed the Plateau State COVID-19 Task Force to brief the assembly about the view to fine-tune the review since it had become necessary. Although the briefing was put off twice and had not being done up till now.
Ayuba said one of the resolutions was to ensure that more security personnel are drafted to strengthen the border closure.
According to him, the executive must ensure that the person securing the borders are paid allowances to enable them put in their best.
“Their allowances must be paid as and when due and if possible, they should be included on the state government’s payroll. Face mask must be enforced and every citizen of Plateau must wear one as protection from the virus,” he said.
People react to palliatives
Some of the people faulted the strategy mapped out by the government to distribute palliatives as promised by Governor Lalong, therefore women stormed some major streets in protest against non disbursement of the food items.
A protester Mrs Easter John, said they embarked on the protest having not seen any palliative from the government as promised by Governor Lalong.
She added that, “We are told by some people to come here but we did not see any government official that would distribute any palliative to us. We won’t leave the road until the state government brings the palliatives and distribute to us.”
However, the council chairman of Jos North, Hon Shehu Bala, said the state government has planed to disburse food items as palliatives but did not say people should gather at a specific venue.
He said, “That the state government has said it would disburse palliatives, it did not say people would be gathered in one place to collect the items.
“Government has made plans on how best the items would be disbursed, items would be taken to communities and a committee has been set to make the disbursement to the needy persons.”
He urged the people to shun any information that is not from official source of government.
Lalong struck again
As both the citizens in general and lawmakers in particular sought for a review of the lockdown with a high hope that Lalong would see reasons in their argument, in his last broadcast on April 30, 2020, he gave another shoker wherein he said the total lockdown would subsist but shall be relaxed from every midnight of Thursdays to every midnight of Sundays to enable people again re-stock their homes.
“This would henceforth be the pattern until further review,” he said.
“In addition to the total lockdown which closed movement in and out of the state and in order to curb community spread of COVID-19, government has decided to close all intra-state borders with effect from May 4, 2020,” he had said.
