There is rising anxiety across many nations of the world about the second wave of COVID 19 largely caused by the chilling cold weather witnessed across many nations of the world today.
This has also made it easy for fresh and rising infections
across tropical African countries like Nigeria even though the country is largely
hot by now. This of course is caused by travellers that contacted it in
European countries like UK and also US where the virus has taking new
dimensions especially in UK and eventually import it into Nigeria.
This rising infections has also triggered concerns for another
lockdown in some countries especially in African countries taking a cue from UK
that went into another lockdown to curb the rising fresh infections.
It is however, imperative to note that these counties that are planning or have already gone into another lockdown are stable and strong economies where the Govt also has COVID 19 reliefs and palliatives to dampen the effects of the lockdown on their economies and the lives of their citizens in particular.
Most of these economies credited accounts of their citizens
and also designed strategies to support businesses from going down the drain
due to the challenges that face these businesses and the spillover effects of
global recession since 2019, the worst in this century.
Global economies grinded to a halt last year during the
lockdown. But the effects were felt more by African countries like Nigeria
where the Govt does not support citizens let alone offering stimulus packages
for businesses to recover.
Most families in Nigeria, more than 60 percent actually depend solely on daily income from daily struggle to eat and provide food and shelter for themselves and their families.
You will be surprised to hear stories of millions of families
that depend on daily trades with capital of less down N3,000 to feed a family
of 5 or more as the mother or father has to toil daily with this meager capital
to generate some little revenue for the daily needs of the families while they
pray for a miracle someday.
The previous lockdown exposed this economy on edge situation
with many families starving to death because the little capital they have has
been used up while sitting at home without turning it over, thereby forcing
children to die of hunger and starvation.
The impact was obvious that families, had to risk their lives
to scamper for foods anywhere to the extent of pulling down warehouses where
Govt COVID 19 Palliatives were stored by governors were vandalized by the
entire community as people danmed the consequences to seek for source of food
for themselves and their children even to the risk of their lives.
This has triggered the new fear and anxiety over the rumours
of another lockdown amid rising infections.
Nigeria Govt should take a cue from countries like UAE and
many other countries that have ruled out any form of second lockdown due to its
damaging effects on the local economy.
These countries are rather putting in stricter measures for
the protocols like mandatory mask in every public places like market, malls,
bus , train etc while still allowing the normal life to continue without shutting
down even their bars and beaches due to fear of more infection. This is because
they realize that COVID 19 has come to be part of us now like AIDS, so life
must go on and people have to survive and we all cannot die of hunger while
COVID occupies empty planet.
So, proper strategy requires Govt insisting on adherence to COVID
protocols in every public place while allowing people live their normal life
before the advent of COVID 19. Life must go on.
The good news is that the vaccine is here now, so life must
go on or we self destroy the world through fear with economic recession or rather
hardship that will send many children into early graves due to hunger and
starvation in Nigeria. The after effects will be unimaginable as crime will
rise the more and this time beyond Govt control that might turn our country to
a lawless jungle or rather a crime hub if there is any word like that.
The Nigerian Govt should tread with caution and jettison
completely any idea of another lockdown no matter how necessary it may be
perceived.
All they require is to insist on mask in all public places
and possibly impose fine as the case may be while mandating anyone that has any
of the symptoms to rush to any medical centre close bye for check up.
This is the only way we will actually recover from the real
effects of this pandemic.
Please say no to another lockdown for the interest of
Nigerian economy.
#NoToAnotherLockdown
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