‘After this lockdown, I ‘ll go back to Ivory Coast, life is better there’

The lockdown has been a phase we all have to partake in as the world continues to battle with COVID-19. And for over three weeks, states have been on either total lockdown or ensuring precautionary curfew . FAVOUR BOLUWADE was in Ejigbo, Osun State which was in the news recently over some indigenes who came in from Ivory Coast with COVID-19. Her report:

A visit to a popular town- Ejigbo, in Osun State was a breath of cautious air. With more than two checkpoints within a 10-minutes distance, it was not unnoticed that the indigenes of the town had taken it upon themselves to fight against Coronavirus in any way possible. There were bowls of water at reasonable spaces , accompanied with soap to ensure access to washing of hands. The entirety of the community screamed obedience, carefulness and a halt, socially. There were not many people roaming the streets, the markets seemed empty and it was almost conclusive only essential works were allowed on the street.

The king welcomed Saturday Tribune while still maintaining social distancing. His palace members sat away from one another and face masks ‘beautified’ the scenery. When the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Omowonuola Oyeyode Oyesosin was asked how the virus had affected his community, he said the importance of the lockdown was to curb the spread and he had tried his best to make sure the measures are practised. He told Saturday Tribune how important it was that people followed the instructions just to ensure the virus doesn’t spread excessively.

Ogiyan said: “I am aware that we should wash our hands,  practise social distancing, with at least one metre spacing between you and the other person, avoid social gathering, and when anyone shows symptoms such as incessant coughing or sneezing, health personnels should be invited.  I believe the viral infection or COVID will go away very soon and activities will return to normal.”

 

“We will run away from Nigeria “

Inside Ejigbo, the stories varied but the painful feelings were the same. Alhaja Kehinde Orisalade said lockdown had affected her business venture seriously.

“I don’t go to my shop anymore because there’s really no money circulating. I am following the instructions to prevent this virus from spreading.

“If there were no lockdown, people would have started to receive gifts from their families from everywhere. After this lockdown I am planning to go back to Ivory Coast. It’s a three-day journey maximum by bus and I  can’t wait to go back. This economic system is harsh for us here. There is no infrastructural commitment in Ejigbo. Ninenty percent of our indigenes are not here, they have run away to Abidjan. I need the government to consider us, assist us with something that will encourage our people to stay back at home. Because, without nothing, we will continue to leave.

“If you go through every household here, you will realise that majority have a representative in Ivory Coast. Abidjan is a second home. The  campus they built here have about 500 students or less. We need a college of education here. If they dont make things easy for us, once Corona ends we will run away. “

“Without ado, we know there is no job to do really since we have been asked to be at home, another member of the community who pleaded anonymity stated .

“Staying at home has stopped my business that I usually go out to do,  hence I’m not making money. I know we are to wash our hands regularly and avoid religious gathering.  I am a Muslim and Ramadan fasting has started but right now, we are breaking the fast in our own spaces.  There is no place God isn’t. He can answer prayers from anywhere. I haven’t really had much to do staying indoors , but I know this will pass.”

 

“We need a comfortable , better Nigeria”

Saheed Oluomo, also from Ejigbo town spoke on how the state of things has affected every business such that those in Abidjan that supplied excess food during the Ramadan period can’t really do much.

Oluomo said that, “robbers are everywhere now and hunger is here,  alarmingly. You would think you have cooked a pot of soup for yourself but the robber would have been lurking around; when you have finished cooking, someone is already there to steal the soup. It’s that bad for people.”

“We contribute a lot to the government during elections and we have hoped that being responsible at election time, coming out to vote would help the government remember us such as a time like this. But it’s not fair at all,  we are remembered only when election is close because they know Ejigbo people come out in their numbers to vote. Here we are locked, no food, no palliatives, our indigenes abroad are willing to do so much here but there is nothing to build on. We want a nation that is enjoyable to live in. The economy over there we rush to in Ivory Coast has been so awesome, the poor eats what the rich can eat, both go to highly profile restaurants. The electriity is top notch.  I want a better nation after Corona ends sincerely. Out of my six siblings, I’m the only one left in Nigeria, others are in Abidjan because that place is a  comfort zone, “ Oluomo concluded.

Alhaji Orisalade said, “ If census said there were 500,000 people in Ejigbo, I can tell you there are  two million  in Abidjan. I’m praying nothing goes wrong over there because we are enjoying the benefits from them; we eat their food,  we receive gifts from our families, they have the schools our children are attending.  I want the government to invest in our infrastructure. We are doing business all round the world, because the economy is stable and nice which has made our people make money outside their home and the fact that Nigerians thrive wherever they are found. If the same energy they have to develop other parts of the world is used here, you can imagine the rapid growth that would happen here at home with a right environment.”

 

“Lockdown is a blessing yet a curse”

The lockdown has affected my job, not really my education or lifestyle was what Titilayo Olowoyo told Saturday Tribune. She works in a hotel in Ibadan, Oyo State and she said since a hotel is where people are exposed to so many people, working with and for people ,her place of work was shut down since one cannot tell who has the virus.

Olowoyo continued, “People come from all walks of life to hotels hence to reduce the risk and infection spread, we had to go on break. Though the pandemic has created time for you to learn online as long as you have data. There’s nothing really you can’t learn at home. As an indoor person who goes out only for church services and to work, and seldomly for shopping and outings,  I can say the lockdown has not disturbed my personality. I have tried to look out for one or too things online to improve myself. If pandemic hasn’t been here, there are some things I would not really try out or do. Now I read the news constantly, workout- I’m being conscious of not gaining excess weight.  pandemic is a blessing and a curse. As much as I’m at rest and doing new things that are beneficial to me, I’m sad that people are dying too.  After the lockdown, I’m just going to get to work and make money again; this has been affected. “

 

Social media; the lifesaver

Popular actor, presenter and comedian ,Uba Michael popularly known as Ogbolor said the lockdown has not helped the lifestyle of the entertainers since they don’t work from home but the online platforms available has helped him and his fellows in the industry.

Ogbolor stated that, “entertainers don’t work from home, we need events to host, one cannot be a Master of Ceremony without an event, we need to go out to shoot movies. Though people are availing themselves of the social media and since every entertainer wants to engage people, make them entertained, they keep pulling out contents for people to enjoy online. Some of us will be writing scripts, books,as I am doing already, generally, creating contents to keep body and soul together. It’s easier for those doing the 9-5 jobs to work on their systems from home but for people like us that have to move , to work, it’s not very easy”.

Bolaji Yusuf from Ogun State also agreed to the fact that the shutdown gave him space to do new things. “I’ve been learning online and it’s been fun, just sometimes the network gets messy and some of the facilitators are still blending in on how to deliver classes online which has been good”, he said.

Tolulope Adeyewa  who lives in Lagos State reacted also. She said , “the lockdown hasn’t really affected me.  I am enjoying it but it gets boring. In order to stay more productive, I have been watching YouTube videos to improve my culinary skills, started online classes and I’ve been  reading new books.”

 

“COVID-19 might not be the enemy for the masses, hunger is , most likely”

According to Akeem Alabi who lives in Osogbo,Osun State said he got to know he didn’t create options for emergency and it  had sporadically bounced on him in the aspect of coping with the unexpected form of living.

Alabi stated: “I work in a private firm that publishes all kinds of books especially for primary school pupils. Since there has been total shutdown of schools at all levels, the firm couldn’t bear the financial risk of paying staff  in the previous month and probably subsequent months. Hence, it won’t be out of point to assert that this total lockdown has not only effectively retired people at home for the purpose of staying safe, but also sacked several others, including myself of our unavoidable jobs. The best perceptive to look at this pandemic is for the leaders to balance the equation for the populace. NCDC, PTF , the government might be saying Coronavirus is deadly, however they must know that what is more deadly is when you lose your life before it ends to depression, loss of jobs, hunger and lack of basic amenities.”

He added that If the method of distributing unequal palliatives to the masses persisted, then the enemy is not COVID-19.

 

 

 

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