There is fear in Nigeria as the government make efforts to ensure that another lockdown does not happen, this is despite increasing cases COVID-19 in the country which is world’s most populous black nation.
In the late hours of January 31st, the Nigerian government through a press statement signed by Garba Shehu, who is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, cautioned Nigerians on the need to wear facemasks to avert lockdown.
The Presidency noted that they were worried by reports of non-compliance with signed executive order that makes mask wearing and observation of social distancing in the public mandatory.
With over 130,000 confirmed cases and over 103,000 persons discharged, Nigeria is fighting against continued deaths occasioned by the raging pandemic. Already, over 1,500 deaths have been recorded in the country. The deaths were blamed on COVID-19.
The Country’s Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, had on December 22, 2020 told the Senate that the Federal government would need about N400bn to vaccinate 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population.
Earlier in 2020, the country had witnessed a shutdown, this however led to economic constraints with losses recorded by the country and its citizenry.
Already, the Lagos state government which rules the country’s commercial capital have revealed that the Oxygen demand spiked to 400 cylinders daily. The state is constructing another Oxygen plant at Gbagada General Hospital and will come on-stream soon.
With over 70 Million persons vaccinated , only 20,000 of these were on the African continent.
Already, Nigerians have expressed reservations at another lockdown, fearing the impact it could have on the country and survival of people.
The President of the country, Muhammadu Buhari came under attack recently when he attended his party’s registration event without using a nose-mask, a development that received wide condemnation. Many commentators noted that this would cause a wrong notion to many Nigerians whose willingness to use the mask have been in question before the President’s violation of his own order.
EXCEL BREAKING NEWS observed respect of the order for use of Nose Mask in the Federal Capital Territory and saw improved use as at February 1st, 2021.
When a motorist was accosted on why he chose to use the mask, he revealed that fear of being arrested motivated him. Many other persons who purchased the Nose mask on the spot noted same thing, showing effectiveness of the President’s order.
In one shattering incident, a former Lagos state Commissioner for Information, Kehinde Bamigbetan narrated how his relative died due to COVID-19 on January 29th, this is despite being on drugs. He was said to have been found dead in his room.
“A lone ray from a torchlight picked his face from the dark recess of his room. It was my brother, his father that switched on the torchlight. And saw what any father would pray not to see till death-a son, helpless, dead” he said in his tribute to his late nephew.
The COVID-19 has killed many around the world with efforts to curb the virus ongoing.
