Aba residents open markets, shops after lockdown relaxation

April 11, 2020.

By Ijendu Iheaka 

Abia government’s relaxation of the Covid-9 lockdown in the state, has encouraged lax attitude towards Covid-9 safety rules in the state, this site reports.

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, on April 9, gave approval to the relaxation order following calls to relax the order to noble residents re-stock food, according to his Chief Press Secretary, Onyebuchi Ememanka.

Ememanka said that the lockdown order relaxation from 6 am Friday, April 10 to Sunday April 12 was to enable Christians in the state observe Easter celebrations marking the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

However, our a Correspondent who moved around Aba observed that most people on the streets of Aba were mingling and mixing normally while discarding the social distancing protocol meant to fight Covid-19.

Traders around major streets in Aba, who had been in doors before now, have returned to their various businesses again.

Ariaria International market and some other major markets in the city re-opened on Saturday following the relaxation of the order.

Although the relaxation did not include opening markets and sales of non-essential items, traders who deal on clothes, shoes and other non-essential products used the opportunity to re-open their shops too.

The city’s commercial bus drivers were also seen boarding four persons on a seat while refusing to observe the order mandating them to take few passenger at at time.

Inter-state travelers going to Onitsha in Anambra and Owerri in Imo states were seen Saturday morning boarding vehicles to those destinations at Aba Main Park even as Anambra Friday recorded a confirmed Covid-19 case.

When contacted the Abia Commissioner for Homeland Security, Chief Dan Okoli said that the residents were misconstruing the relaxation order stressing that markets and boundaries were not included in the order.

He said that the boundaries in Abia North where he heads the Covid-19 lockdown implementation task force were all lockdown.

He, however, urged our Correspondent to speak to the chairman in charge of Abia South task force in Aba, Chief Chimaobi Ebisike, the Commissioner for Special Duties.

Efforts made by our Correspondent  to reach Ebisike failed as he picked his call at first and cut it but later calls made to his phone line were not answered.