Kano govt should give total lockdown consideration by Dahir M Hashim

The owtotal lockdn was primarily imposed to limit the spread of Covid-19. Sadly, compliance was only effective in the first two weeks of its implementation, thereafter we noticed breaches and total negligence from the government and the populace at observing the total lockdown.

Social distancing, wearing a facemask, the use of hand sanitizers and all related measures aimed at curbing the upsurge of the deadly virus seemed only to happen on the pages of newspaper and the social media platforms.

In reality, it was observed that people in Kano were conducting their activities without giving attention to the measures placed. Football matches and assembly “zaman majalisa” were seen everywhere in the nooks and crannies of the state.

Also, the security personnel are allegedly accused of complicity and collecting bribes at roadblocks, thereby allowing people who are supposed to be at home to pass through and conduct their activities even if they are not among the people exempted in the exercise as essential duties. Few people were arrested and fined for not complying, but hundreds, if not thousands, went scot-free.

If the main aim of imposing lockdown is to restrict movement and ensure social distancing to control the spread of Coronavirus, this half-observed and indifference of people in complying with the measure is ineffective. The government should either ensure full compliance or release people to go and search for a living.

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It is very unfortunate that COVID-19 pandemic has induced fear among the public and the imposition of total lockdown in Kano didn’t help matters. What we observed is that, internally people don’t comply with the measure and externally the ineffective measure aggravated many issues relating to less privileged people, especially those at the lower economic ladder.

In the first place, Kano people received little awareness on the dangers of the pandemic, and the very few ones who were convinced of its dangerous effects through different efforts of local NGOs, CSO and related volunteers began to doubt the sincerity and commitment of the state government in tackling the pandemic. Many are seeing it as an attempt to siphon public money for personal gains.

Although there is no religious effort from public office holders to curb the effect of the pandemic, the ineffective lockdown has left the tricycle riders, truck drivers at Singer Market, hawkers at Katin  Kwari market, street dealers at Farm Center and Beruit road, bricklayers, petty traders and many more struggling to make ends meet due to the drastic decrease of their income.

Instead of the government to address the issues of low-income earners, it has instead reopened viewing centres where it is almost impossible for the viewers to observe social distancing.

The recent approach taken by the state government is a great source of concern and there is no need to continue the lockdown at this time knowing fully well how our viewing centres operate.

Many of the aforementioned have less awareness about the pandemic, therefore, have dire need to access their respective businesses.

The viewing centres have been re-opened for a reason well known to the government, but still continues its selected days outing instead of allowing people to get daily meal since the government’s palliatives couldn’t reach the most vulnerable and the total lockdown proved ineffective.

The lockdown has lasted for over two consecutive months, despite the nonchalant attitude of the weighing majority of the people in relation to the disease, luckily for us, it hasn’t hit us as predicted by experts. We have against all odds adapted to the pandemic.

We call on the state government to either allow people to go about by lifting the lockdown or ensure total imposition at every level. The virus is non-conscious being and couldn’t understand this cherrypicking. It can’t go and sleep in the days without lockdown and come back when there is.

We fear that the second wave of a pandemic will not hit Kano state as many people have started to be less serious on the issue. We pray that the government should do the needful by either allowing people to move back to their activities to raise economic activities or ensure total lockdown at all levels.

Dahir M Hashim writes from Kano.