For Twentyten Daily, Precious Ewuji and Faith Omoniyi, visited various parks in Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, to observe the ignorance of travelers and transporters to COVID-19 protocols during the festive season despite recording increasing cases in the state.
Funsho Olapade had set out on a sunny afternoon – just about five days to the Christmas celebration– to travel down to Abeokuta, Ogun State from Lagos State, where he resides.
Dressed in a traditional native attire, Olapade held a black portfolio to board a public car conveying commuters to his destination at Abule Egba motor park, Lagos. The mid-sixties-aged man had not forgotten to put on his nose mask while traveling – a precautionary measure to control the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus.
However, while the driver was still calling more passengers to board the vehicle, Olapade called the driver, asking if there is a hand sanitizer to use in the park.
“Sir, if you know you cannot stay in this vehicle without a hand sanitizer, please, leave. Do you know how many people board vehicles to Abeokuta every day from this park? You cannot tell the leadership of this place what to do,” the driver angrily responded.
Explaining his disappointment to these reporters, Olapade said, “I was very surprised at his manner of approach. These drivers don’t care about other things. All they care for is their money. A sienna bus that is meant to convey just 7-8 passengers will convey up to 10 passengers without proper safety precautions.”
Olapade, who was displeased at the driver’s manner of approach, left the vehicle angrily. He said, “I know the economic situation of Nigeria is not too favourable at the moment but it would cause these drivers just a little amount of money to protect themselves and their passengers. He didn’t even speak well.”
Caption: A motor park in Lagos
Recall that Nigeria, through her Federal Ministry of Health, recorded the first case of the COVID-19 virus on the 27th of February 2020. Nigeria has long since battled different waves of the spread of the novel virus, with the Omicron variant being the latest.
The National Center for Disease Control has recorded a total number of over 240,000 confirmed cases of the virus as of the time of writing this report.
Nigeria, also, detected its first case of the Omicron variant in the closing weeks of November 2021 in travelers who arrived from South Africa. Despite the new wave of the virus, findings showed that people are going about their daily routine without observing the COVID-19 precautions as laid down by the Federal government.
Lagos leads COVID-19 record
Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, has been a frontier since the advent of the coronavirus in the country.
Of the over 240,000 recorded cases in the country, Lagos has 96,305 confirmed cases and 761 deaths.
These figures are nowhere near a downward spiral as there seems to be a rise in the total number of confirmed cases recorded daily.
Recall that the first case of the COVID-19 virus in Nigeria was recorded in Lagos State on the 27th of February 2020. Lagos has no doubt suffered a huge economic impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the lockdown era, businesses were prevented from opening and public spaces could no longer hold the usual number of occupants to curtail the spread of the virus.
Businesses experienced tough struggles during the lockdown period. There was either a cut down in salaries or mass laying off of staff and in some cases a mix of both to curtail the economic implications of the virus.
Micro, Small and Medium-scale enterprises were affected the most, losing a total number of N2.7 billion, according to the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Recall that on the 2nd of March 2021, Nigeria received a shipment of 3.94 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII), from Mumbai to Abuja.
The Governor of Lagos State Babatunde Sanwo Olu on Wednesday the 10th of March 2021 via his twitter page announced that the state had received 507,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Lagos rolled out its first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination exercise on March 12, 2021, with top priority given to frontline health workers.
According to the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, a total number of 1,91,394 doses of AstraZeneca and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in the state. This, however, represents a small minority, about 3.04% of the state’s population. With 13, 905, 615 more people yet to be vaccinated.
At iyanpaja motor-park
When these reporters visited Iyana Ipaja motor park in Alimosho local government area, they observed that passengers used their nose masks. Some also took hand sanitizers along with them to the park for their safety.
“This is not the first time I will be coming to board a bus here. It has always been like this since the first wave of the COVID 19 pandemic. We just use our nose masks as it pleases us. The drivers are nonchalant about the Omicron Virus,” Oluwatoba Grace explained.
She also narrated how she once, during her travel to Ekiti state, shared her sanitizer with everyone inside the vehicle, including the driver sometime in May, 2021.
“I just had to share it, the bus was very stuffy. Only two people used face masks, and we sat in four. I only believe in individual precautions because these motorists are less concerned,” she added.
Days after this festivity, on 6th Jan, 2021, at about 7 am, these reporters visited, again, the Iyana Ipaja park to check the people’s observation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their findings showed that many of the travelers and drivers have a nonchalant attitude towards the increasing rate of the pandemic.
Romola Akingbade, a student of Ekiti State University, who was intending to travel back to school, said that refusing to adhere to the protocols is not only at motor parks but it starts at each person’s home.
“They say charity begins at home. A person who does not take personal precautions while at home will definitely refuse to take precautions in the public. While the government enforces it daily to stay safe, some people act like the disease does not exist at all”, she said.
She explained that she got tired of pleading with the drivers to get sanitizers because they do not listen.
“Once you tell them to get hand sanitizers, you have virtually become their enemy. They do not like to listen to that advice from anyone,” she added.
However, on his part, Mr. Muhammed, a passenger at the park who was without a nose mask, said he finds it rude of the passengers who tell passengers to get hand sanitizers in their vehicles.
“I mean, anyone who believes in this COVID-19 or whatever they call it should get his or her sanitizer. We all know how much these drivers spend daily on vehicle maintenance, giving money to their union, and all of that.
“Safety starts from you. Save yourself, first. You should not depend on one driver before you get sanitizers or nose masks.,” he concluded.
Ignorant passengers speak
Mrs. Chike (not real name) is a trader who travels three times a week to Abeokuta to buy Ponmo(cow skin) wholesale and sell at retail price in Abule Egba.
While speaking with her, she explained that she cannot use a nose mask or a hand sanitizer.
“The government is just trying to extort us and collect money. There is nothing like COVID-19 or Omicron Virus. They shouted all through last year, telling us to take precautions, I never saw anyone who had COVID-19.
“I know how I do my things. Immediately after I get back from the market, I usually take my bath with hot water and I treat malaria immediately after I develop the symptoms. I don’t believe in any virus,” she asserted.
Another passenger at Ojota garage, Ikechukwu Andrew said he has never heard of Omicron Virus.
“I only heard of COVID-19, I have never heard of this Omicron virus. The government just brings new things every time. I travel all the time and I’ve never heard anyone complain about the omicron of whatever they call it,” he said.
‘it’s double responsibility’
Speaking with these reporters, a driver at Ojota, who conveys people from Ojota to Ado-Ekiti said, “After the COVID-19 lockdown, we gave out sanitizers to all of our passengers and we enforced the usage of nose masks within our park premises.”
This driver stated that the enforcement of COVID-19 principles at the park was nosedived after the federal government stopped releasing the record of those that were affected by the virus.
The reporters gathered that since the advent of the Omicron variant of the Virus, the park at Ojota has not complied with COVID-19 preventive measures; with no nose mask used at the venue and no sanitizers applied.
These reporters visited a motor park at the Iyana Ipaja axis of Lagos while speaking with this driver, he, however, lamented that he is charged with double responsibilities of calling passengers into his vehicle while ensuring they adhere to COVID-19 precautions.
“I cannot be calling passengers and at the same time be telling them to make use of their nose masks.
“Sometimes when I tell passengers to use their nose masks they end up leaving the vehicle angrily saying that they don’t believe in the COVID-19 pandemic and they don’t have the virus. And this makes us lose passengers”, he added.
Experts displeased with disobedient culture
When speaking to these reporters, Mrs. Rebecca Adaramola, a senior doctor and owner of God’s Healing Hospital, a private hospital at Papalanto in Ogun State, stated that ignorance is the major reason most Nigerians refuse to take precautions.
“Apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are vulnerable to other infectious diseases and they do not bother. Last month, a young woman was brought to my hospital and she had the symptoms of the Omicron Virus.
“We tried to convince her to start taking proper precautions and avoid a large crowd, she responded that she does not believe in any COVID-19 as her priority every day is to make ends meet,” she added.
Adaramola who expressed her displeasure over the ignorance of the public to the virus said, “COVID-19 and Omicron virus are both real. I would advise that Nigerians take proper precautions in order to avoid the aftermath.”
Also, Dr. Adebayo Ojo explained that refusal to adhere to the safety measures of COVID-19 makes people more prone to contracting the virus which might lead to death.
“You and I know the implications of not adhering to the COVID-19 safety measures during this period. The virus has similar symptoms with Malaria, the only difference is that it restricts proper breathing. That’s why there is an increase in the demand for oxygen in hospitals around Lagos.
“I would advise that all Lagosians adhere strictly to the COVID-19 safety measures; the usage of face masks, washing of hands and so on”, he said.
- This investigation is a two-part series report produced to check the compliance of people to the COVID-19 protocols during the yuletide season.