May 11, 2020
By Ijendu Iheaka
Aba residents on Monday left their homes in droves following Abia government’s COVID-19 gradual lockdown relaxation announcement which began on May 11.
Although most commercial vehicles tried to sustain the social distancing rules requiring them to carry few passengers, most residents found it hard to adhere to social distancing protocol.
Residents who were delighted to be out again, however lamented that the 6 hours allowed for transporters to begin and end operations in Aba, Umuahia and other urban areas in Abia were are too short and stringent.
They therefore called for a review of the policy to avoid causing more problems for the citizens.
Abia’s Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu in late March issued directives including total lockdown to check the spread of Coronavirus in the state beginning from April 1.
The governor on May 1, at a meeting with heads of some socio-economic sectors in Abia agreed on gradual relaxation of the coronavirus-induced lockdown starting from May 11 after one month and two weeks of lockdown.
The Abia government while announcing the relation of lockdown said that commercial tricycle (Keke) operators and all other intra-state commercial transporters would operate from 9am to 4pm daily.
It also announced that all the markets in Abia state would open only three times a week on: Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 9am to 3pm daily.
Aba residents although happy about the relaxation, on Monday, but regretted that some challenges the relaxation rules posed would make life a bit more difficult for people in the state.
Mr Abazie Nwosu, a beer saloon operator near Aba main park said that the relaxation plan was a welcome development but that the rules would foist hardship on residents.
He said that their type of business get more patronage during the evening hours and would still suffer setback because of the closure time for businesses which is 3 pm.
Mrs Ada Ekeleme, staff of Osisioma Local government said that the closure of markets by the same time working married women would have to go to the market after work would make life hard for them and their families.
She said that for the working mothers, it would also not be easy to be going to work and the market so as to take care of their homes at the same time and asked that government reviews the closure time to reach 6 pm.
Mrs Paulina Ude, a trader, speaking on the rush on the roads at the closure time, said “this timing is hard for us as traders but we have to manage the situation since it is our safety that we are seeking.
“It is better than being lockdown totally but the unfortunate thing now is that any of the three days markets are to open, the town would see much people and a mad rush to go home by everyone once it is 3 pm.
Buyers and sellers were seen around as at 10 am, while most shops were opened, and street hawkers and road side traders had already pitched their wares.
Traders who spoke to our reporter at the closure of business at Ekeoha market on Monday described their entrance and exit in and out of their various lines, zones and gates within the markets as chaotic.
As at 2:30pm, the pressure was already high for traders at Eke-Oha Shopping Centre who had barely 30 minutes to exit the market.
It was the same situation at the nearby Ahia-Ohuru as at 2:45 when our reporter got to the market as buyers and sellers were struggling to come out and get vehicles to return home with.
At St. Michael’s road, Aba, the Phone Accessories and Computer market was alive and bubbling with people buying new phone and repairing old ones.
However, customers were seen hurrying to beat the three o’clock deadline for leaving the town to their homes in order not to risk trekking home.
The government’s plan to close workers and markets on Monday’s, Wednesday and Fridays by 3 pm had Aba chaotic while Policemen were using the opportunity to defraud unfortunate residents..
No comments:
Post a Comment