Despite deaths from COVID-19, it is business as usual for Lagosians

With over 11,000 actives cases and 177 fatalities, Lagos remains Nigeria’s epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic. IMOLEAYO OYEDEYI, reports how weak enforcement drive and general lack of trust are compelling residents of the state to doubt the existence of the virus thus throwing caution to the wind as they go about their business even as the second wave of the virus threatens.

THE sun rose with revenging brightness that Tuesday morning. As of then, Lagos State was leading other states with 11, 636 active cases, 1,993 patients discharged and 177 casualties recorded out of the 13,806 confirmed cases it has documented so far since the outbreak of the virus.

With this figure, one would have expected an acceptable level of compliance from the residents of the state, especially the drivers at its various motor parks and security operatives commissioned to enforce the anti-coronavirus safety guidelines.

It was a saner climate at the Lagos Park, Challenge, Ibadan, Oyo State, where this reporter took off on the journey;  where motorists and commuters treaded cautiously with variegated facemasks and distant sitting arrangements despite the state having 1,079 active cases and 20 casualties which remain a fraction of that of Lagos.

Business as usual

At the Ojodu Berger Park, it was business as usual as the residents moved about freely with little or no caution. Only a few of them wore nose-covers: the aged who are even more at risk didn’t bother to wear one. The social distancing rule was brazenly contravened and flattened by the absence of security operatives at the busy motor park where interstate travellers link other parts of the state.

Before getting to Ojodu Berger, the bus coming from Ibadan had first stopped at Ibafo to drop some passengers and pick others. Among those picked was a fair-skinned woman who should be in her late 50s. The woman sat on the last sitting row directly at the back. She was with two boys, obviously her grandchildren, within the age bracket of eight and ten. Despite seeing others wearing their facemasks, this woman refused to do same but instead preferred to keep the nose covers including those for her children in her bag.

Her reluctance to comply with the safety directive, despite spirited pleas from the driver, arose curiosity. What exactly could have made the woman act indifferently? The reporter asked for her reaction.

“See, my brother, there is no need because even in Lagos, only few people will wear it and nothing will happen to those that won’t,” the woman snapped.

“But we do hear that anyone without nose covers in Lagos will be arrested and even asked to drop off at any junction,” the reporter prodded further.

“That is not entirely true, Oga,” she said. In fact, last week that I went there with these two boys, it was a different story. After boarding a bus with the boys at Ibafo, I remembered that I was having just only one face mask in my bag. I feared I could be arrested along the way if my two boys wear no nose covers as we have been hearing on radio.

“So, I collected the N200 meant to get food for the boys at Berger because they didn’t eat before we left home. I bought two face masks at Magboro for them to wear. But when we got to Berger and even till we got to Ikotun, our destination, we only saw few people with nose covers. In fact, in the bus we boarded from Berger, not many people wore face masks and nothing was done to them.

“That day, I regretted using the money because we later got stuck in traffic for hours and I was not having much money on me. My two boys were writhing with hunger right before me but I was helpless,” the woman recounted with anger.”

Hike in fares, no rules enforcement

At the Berger Park, while commuters queued up tightly against the social distancing rule for buses, especially those going to Obalende/CMS, the motorists exploited the situation to hike transport fares exorbitantly.

They claim it was because they have been mandated to take just two persons on each sitting row. That day, the fare for Mile 2 and Lagos Island was N1000 while to Oshodi was N800. The hike in fares took some commuters by surprise. Two of them were sighted seeking for financial assistance.

One of the drivers, who spoke to Sunday Tribune over the price hike, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Aside the social distancing rule, the roads too are bad. Besides, as you can see on the bridge, there is traffic gridlock. All these are what compelled us to double the fares. On normal days, we charge between N300 and N400 from Berger to Oshodi and between N500 and N600 from here to CMS. But now, everything has changed and we can’t run at a loss.”

Despite the high fares one would have expected sanity, but it didn’t happen. Commuters, after heated argument with the driver over the fare, eventually settle for N700 to Oshodi. Hardly had the bus moved half way before an unlawful change took place.

The driver stopped to pick some passengers and fill up the bus against the social distancing rule over which he had collected high fares at the Berger Park.

Despite the protest made by a few passengers, most of other passengers remained calm as new ones squeezed into the bus running at top speed. Some questions ran through the reporter’s mind. Why didn’t people protest the driver’s illegality including flouting the social distancing rule?

Bribe and go

From Ojodu Berger to Oshodi there were no security operatives and no checkpoints for compliance.

At Oshodi, business activities were in high gear. Shops located at either side of the road buzzed, hawkers displayed their wares, and motorcycle riders rode recklessly. Almost everybody flouted the rules despite the presence of four armed security operatives sitting stoutly on wooden benches inside a white iron cubicle at a crowded joint directly opposite one of the interchange Bus Terminals.

Behind the compartment housing the enforcement officers is a market thronged by mammoth crowd with no observance of either the social distancing rule or use of compulsory nose covers. Yet, the mobile policemen looked on.

An Ofada rice seller who identified himself as simply Omo Alabi at the market told Sunday Tribune that although the enforcement agents do check the people’s level of compliance, it’s not every day and even when the operatives made arrests, they released them immediately after allegedly collecting an undisclosed amount of money from them.

“That’s the way things roll here. As you can see, the officers are sitting down. I don’t know why they didn’t move around today. However, they did, yesterday (Tuesday), and arrested those that weren’t having their face masks on. But they only collected some money from the people and released them,” he said.

Meanwhile, while there was presence of security operatives at the Oshodi bus stations, their absence was glaring at some other parts of the states. Further investigations showed that the enforcements agents were not present along Oshodi/Mushin road down to Ojuelegba. But they are often around some areas in Surulere such as Alaka, Costain and even up to Lagos Island.

COVID-19, a hoax

Unfortunately while many cautious people are worried about others’ non-compliance with the COVID-19 regulations despite public enlightenment campaigns, many others believe the whole thing about the virus is a hoax.

A resident of Ayilara area of Surulere, Anuoluwapo Adeyemo, said, “It’s because the fear for the virus and the enforcement of the face mask directive has reduced. In the early days when the lockdown was eased a bit to allow the people visit the markets on specific days, the enforcement was very high. And it drew same level of compliance from the people. But now, people don’t take it serious again because they believe the government is using the coronavirus scare to loot the national treasury.  So, the level of trust has waned. Though the operatives are still making some arrests, they usually release the people once the offenders settle them.”

A resident of Shomolu, Joseph Bakare, said despite the coronavirus being a real threat to life and livelihood, many people in his area still doubt it.

“Ninety-nine per cent of my neighbours around here do not believe the virus exists. And this is behind its spread. But at the same time, we have to go out and work so as to feed our families. Though we are expected to do this while adhering to the preventive measures, many people still don’t comply,” he said.

Adedeji Emir of Akowonjo area of Lagos confirmed to Sunday Tribune that his neighbours too are living in denial, despite his consistent efforts to make them have a rethink.

“I personally believe the virus is real, but many people in my area still doubt it. To me, the increase in the spate of the virus is caused by the people’s non-adherence to its prevention rules as our buses are still being jam-packed every day with passengers,” he said.

Hunger virus

However, Tola Adenuga a resident of Owutu in Ikorodu area of the state seems to provide the reasons behind this mindset.

He said, “If I consider the depth of insincerity with Nigerian leaders, I would conclude that almost all information that comes from them are false, malicious, misleading and politically motivated to mislead the over 200 million Nigerians. However, considering the high rate of confirmed cases of the virus in developed countries, I believe it’s true. But many people in my area doubt this and the reasons are not far-fetched.

“Firstly, Lagos is highly populated and our leaders’ insincerity has made many to distrust them now. In fact, people believe the government is not to be trusted anytime any day because the very few who trusted them in the past are still finding it difficult to come to terms with the reality the saw afterwards.

“Besides, a larger percentage of the people who have been denied basic amenities and support during the times of palliatives distribution no longer feel committed to the basic instructions provided by the government agencies. That’s why the problem lies.”

Adeoyo Samuel , another Lagos resident acknowledged that though it is dangerous to live in denial, people are skeptical about government use of public fund  which many believe end up in the politicians’ pockets.

“In Lagos it’s only those in the average class and above that are following all safety measures to keep themselves safe. Hunger is in the land and most Lagosians live a life of no work, no food; so people are not worried or cautious about the existence of the virus. Many are angry at the government inability to give palliative to them during the lockdown,” he added.

Expert’s views

However with the people’s indifference and continuous violations of the safety guidelines of wearing face masks and keeping social distance especially at market places and bus stations, a virologist and Chairman, Expert Committee on COVID-19, Professor Oyewale Tomori believes the prevalence of the virus in the country and its attendant fatalities may become worsened if its management is not improved.

“It could get worse; if the number of cases increases and our management does not improve, then our hospitals will become overwhelmed with cases,” he said, adding that the increasing casualties of the virus could only be controlled if the guidelines of COVID-19 prevention are enforced and Nigerians are made to understand that the most important person in the COVID-19 crisis is each individual and not the government or PTF.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE