Aba residents flout stay-at-home order, cite hunger as excuse

April 7, 2020

By Ijendu Iheaka 

Some Aba residents have started reckless flouting of the stay-at-home order of the Abia government meant to stave off possible entry of the coronavirus in the state.

NAN reports that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu had on Tuesday, March 24, endorsed a set of directives meant to check coronavirus spread in Abia.

The directives included buses taking fewer passengers and traders procuring hand washing materials for customers at their shops and stalls.

The government later began a complete lockdown of the state on April 1, to ensure coronavirus infections did not get into the state which was yet to record any coronavirus case.

Our Correspondent who went round the town discovered that there were many people moving on some streets along Aba-Owerri road and adjoining streets.

NAN also observed that contrary to government instructions, some non-essential service businesses were found opening their shops to customers in the city.

Some shops along Abia University Teaching Hospital road and adjoining streets had barbing salons,hairdressing shops, electrical and electronic shops as well as businesses dealing in general wares were open.

Most transporters who defied the order to operate in the city were taking more passengers than the numbers they were asked to take at a time to maintain social distancing protocols.

A driver who refused to give his name told our Correspondent that they were taking more passengers because vehicles are few on the road while many persons are out on the streets.

Mr Ndudiri Anyaehie, a resident who spoke with our Correspondent  on the matter said government was the reason people could not stay at home.

“If the government of Abia had paid workers salaries before the lockdown, it could have been easy for people to stay at home.

“If both the state and the federal government had given people food, they would have stayed at home. What you see driving people out is not money, it is to get food for themselves and their families.

“I tell you that in Aba, you can hardly get 70 per cent compliance if the government fails to meet their feeding needs during the lockdowns.

“So our government should do the right thing, then the right answer will come out of it”, he said.