COVID-19: Operation “Stay Home” Without Any Provision Will Give Birth To HUNGER VIRUS -By Mudathir Hayatullahi Folorunsho

A Yoruba adage says “He who wants to collect beans cake from a child must be ready to give honey in replace”.

The Nigerian Government under the rule of His Excellency General Muhammadu Buhari has imposed a total lockdown which precluded the citizens of the country from moving out for their day-to-day works.
The government has taken a very good  measure to prevent the spread of  ‘coronavirus’ but it is also important that they device a means of catering for the welfare of Nigerians.This is because the average Nigerian cannot afford to remain permanently at home, without providing an alternate means of livelihood.

Yoruba people will always pray that “May we not avoid bicycle and get killed by the bus”, but the current situation of Nigerians is showing the contrary side of the prayer as the government has imposed the total lockdown without making provisions for the survival of her citizens. Hunger is not a friend to anyone’s  body.

Although, many people  think that the decision is in the best interest of Nigerians but it would have been more better if the Government organizes a scheme that would cater for the welfare of the poor ones since their means of getting their daily needs has been blocked by staying home in compliance with the “stay home” order.

Hunger is one of the most deadly and fast killing ‘virus’ in this world; Our government has imposed lockdown and didn’t put into consideration those that need to work hard every day to feed themselves and their family.

How do you expect those whose means of livelihood are on the street to survive this lockdown, if our Government does not provide them an alternate means? What of those pepper sellers, porp corn and groundnut sellers, the taxi and bus drivers who have to steer irons before eating and those that cannot afford a day meal if not going out a day to work? 
If proper care is not taken in this country and if our government will not find alternate means for people, the effects of this lockdown will reflect only on the poor ones.

Why do our leaders travel abroad, see what their government over there do and how they cater for the welfarism of their citizens but always fail us here by not emulating them?

Rwanda was the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to impose a total lockdown. But in imposing these measures, the country has not forgotten about its vulnerable members of the population. 

The country’s president Paul Kagame ordered free door-to-door food distribution for the most vulnerable since the country is in the middle of a lockdown. He is also planning to provide essential services such as the supply of water and electricity for free so that people do not face challenges in acquiring these. He made the food distribution announcement in a television address. What has our own government here  announced on television besides stay home and stay safe?

Families whose lives have been negatively affected by the lockdown are assisted in Rwanda with food delivery right at their doorsteps. Kagame acknowledged that many Rwandans are facing social and economic challenges due to the lockdown. Nigerians are only helped with soldiers who beat hell out of them when stepping out of their  homes to find means of survival.

With cases rising, Kagame urged the citizens to remain calm and composed.  He said, “As Rwandans, we have overcome many extraordinary challenges together. Our resilience and solidarity are needed now more than ever, to prevail in this struggle against coronavirus. And we have to win this fight,”
In a country like Nigeria, where many survive on hand to mouth, the move by the central authority to intervene needs to be lauded as compassionate. As the shutdown was imposed, business owners are supposed to be warned not to raise prices of basic commodities.

In a statement published on the Rwanda Broadcasting Authority site, Kagame assured the nation that the country provides the basic amenities to its citizens.
Part of the statement reads: “We know that this is not an easy period for most Rwandans, whose livelihoods have been interrupted across the country. But we ask you to be patient.

Although we are making good progress, we cannot afford to relax yet. The Government will continue to do everything possible, to support Rwandans through this challenging time. Measures have been taken, and more will be taken, to build the resilience of our private sector throughout this difficult period. Relevant institutions are working on a social protection plan, to support the most vulnerable in our community.

I am very sure our government here would have seen this too, why then haven’t they make same promises? The only precautions they have been giving since are: Stay at home, social distancing, avoid crowd of more than 10,  wash your hands regularly. We don’t say we won’t stay at home but, must we also die of hunger when our means of livelihood are outside there?

Staying at home in a country like Nigeria could be very boring as we lack many social amenities and those ones we have are partially alive.

With a population of 60 million people under lockdown, the government of Italy has launched a campaign to get internet companies and publishers to provide free services to help people work and study from home, or just to relieve the boredom of being confined.

Free online newspapers, faster internet and access to e-learning platforms can be accessed at the government’s Digital Solidarity page, where companies can also go to sign up to provide their services pro bono.

If Nigeria government can also emulate this, I opine that staying at home will be very much easier and bored free to her citizens. And it is not that our country don’t have ability to do all these or lacks the resources but, I don’t know why we are being stingy to ourselves here.

Let there be free electricity during this lockdown, just as the government of Niger republic over there announces to her citizens not to pay any electricity fee during this lockdown. Let there be free food and decrease in price of foods and various opportunities that the citizens need to be entitled to.

Many Nigerian youths who have no other works than hailing the highly reputable ones on the streets to get little money to feed on have also been asked to stay home without any provision for them, now, they turn to robbers, burgling into people’s shop here and there, stealing people’s properties while those who are social media handlers among them turn to scammers, hackers and fraudsters, fraudling people who also want excessive means of online income to survive while they stay at home.

I’m not  blaming the Government for imposing the lockdown as it is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of this pandemic as also backed up by the law, but it is also important that the Government considers the effect of this action on the vulnerable citizens.

Lastly, Nigerian President should emulate the president of Rwanda by coming up with feeding scheme for all her citizens and also emulate the Government of Italy by launching a campaign to get internet companies and publishers to provide free services to help people work and study from home, because business dies when not properly or regularly run and also to relieve the boredom while staying at home.

Mudathir Hayatullahi is a 200 level English language student of UDUS and also a campus journalist.