Government gets weak in enforcing coronavirus lockdown

It would appear the government’s at both federal and state levels are becoming weak in enforcing the lockdown order of President Muhammadu Buhari in some parts of Nigeria. In Lagos for instance, certain parts of the still have high movement of people during the day, many of whom do not fall into the exemption categories of the government.

The Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos recorded high traffic to the point of traffic congestion on Monday afternoon. It was as though the lockdown has been suspended or discontinued by the State and federal governments. Majority of the road users plying Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos were not even on essential duty or going to companies for production purposes.

More so, citizens who reside in areas adjacent to takeoff or landing routes to the Ikeja Airport, have in the past four days been noticing arrival of flights in the evening hours before midnight. The flights which have been arriving on daily schedule, some departing the next day after landing in Lagos, are suspected to be foreign flights.

All these are happening at a period governments have restricted movement of citizens on the pretence of containing the spread of coronavirus in Nigeria. It is interesting that more new coronavirus cases are being detected, even in higher numbers before the lockdown.
Meanwhile, Nigerians are running out of patience. The rising threat of hunger at home is putting pressure on citizen for possible uprising, civil disobedience and social urest. This is more so when the palliatives intervention of the government’s are not getting to majority Nigerians.

Failing to properly enforce the lockdown and ensure wider compliance is not only weakening governments but also increasing the risk of further lockdown extension.
We’ll bring details of this in subsequent reports.