As at March 31st, 2020 when President Muhammadu Buhari directed two states (Lagos and Ogun States) and the FCT shutdown in a bid to curtail the spread of the ravaging CoronaVirus out break in Nigeria, many other state governors followed suit to ensure the safety of citizens in their states.
Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa of Delta State took laudable stringent measures to curtail the situation in Delta State. But three weeks after the implementation of the state lock-down, Deltans began to ask if the Governor’s implementation of the lock down is good for citizens or otherwise. First, the Delta State Governor drafted in the military for engagement with the civilian populace, leading to the death of Joseph Peussu in Warri. On the other hand, the Nigeria Police and the State Tasks Force attached to Delta State borders have allowed the borders to be porous thereby allowing people to spread the virus while moving in and out of the state illegally.
Added to this, the spate of Police and State Task Force brutality meted out to citizens, media practitioners, medical doctors, and all manner of extortionate behaviour have gone unchecked. Harmless protesting citizens have been seriously brutalized and shot at across the state. Also, public places like; schools, motor parks, markets (temporarily relocated to schools) have not been fumigated like is the case with other states.
There is currently no clarity as to whether the private hospital where the first index in the state died has been shut down or decontaminated. In Delta State, measures taken to mitigate community transmission have not been communicated to citizens. This is a sharp contrast to what is obtainable in Lagos, where the government is aggressively doing door-to-door testing of about two thousands persons per day. Deltans were asked to stay at home for over two weeks with a promise by the government to open a food bank as palliative. This has not been done, and citizens are passing through untold hardships.
On top of the stress, citizens are deprived by overzealous law enforcement officers to access essential services. Many citizens have lost valuables and livelihoods as a result of the enforcement of the lock down, with no consideration for essential services. Market women have had their wares confiscated in Warri, just as tricycles and motorcycles seized in Ughelli and other places have not been accounted for. With all these happening in the state, citizens have been asking if this is what they deserve from their government. God help the helpless citizens of Delta State.
