featured hero Op-Ed

Oyetola Must Not Go The Buhari Way

Byhvzclarence

PublishedApril 14, 2020

By Solomon Odeniyi

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday night extended the lock down in the federal capital territory, Lagos and Ogun by another 14 days.

The reason as crooned by the nation’s helmsman was that it remained the best and surest way to contain the spread of the deadly virus in the country as recommended by the presidential task force on the virus.

That must have been a tough decision for the president to take for number of reasons. If not for the replete moans of the citizens as a result of the undue hardship occasioned by the stay home order, then the shattered economy of the nation.

He has promised more stimulus package to cushion the effect, it is not a soothing balm to many. Not everyone qualifies for this and not everyone qualified will. It is the bitter truth.

But to the residents of these three states, they must have been pained with the extension. Their yearns now matter not. Respecting the order irrespective of their feelings remain non negotiable . Else, held defaulter may have themselves to blame for going contrary to the directive of the president.

With the Federal government extension, there are concerns in the state of Osun that the governor of the state could toll that path . The governor himself had roared that to us last week. He had hinged this on the safety of the state. Buhari did, he followed it an extension. The man the helms at the Bola Ige house can , just like his boss at Aso rock.

Fortunately, unlike in the FCT and Lagos the numbers have drastically soared, Ogun is suffering from it closeness to the epicenter of the virus in the country. While in the country it increased from 131 when the president gave the first directive on 30th of March, to over 300 now.

In Osun state, thanks to the Governor’s interventions, it has been well managed. Although Osun remains the third most affected state in the country with 20 cases. All are imported.

The cherry news is that 12 had been discharged and according to reports the others are in a stable condition and may soon be cured of the virus. This makes the extension needless and unnecessary.

Governor Oyetola is yet to make a proclamation but before doing, he must consider the fragile economy of the state.

That has been the case even before the whole state was shut. With the suspension of commercial activities, the state should prepare for a period of boon and more days of lock down, will spell more doom.

The revenue from the Federation Account , (FAC ) will definitely not be fat enough to salvage the economic damage caused by the lock down. The price of oil the country depends on has noise dived. Even When added to the expected intervention fund from the federal government, it is still not enough. The meagre internally generated revenue is a no go area for now. The state is in for a big one. The devastating effect is there for all to see. The economy team put up by the governor has a tough job on it hands. The earlier the state government stop this order and jump to action the better chances of setting itself on an economy recovery journey.

Besides, Investments and industries in Ogun and Lagos far outweigh ours, while the rippling effect will definitely drag them backwards, they have what it takes to bounce back.

If not for the Federal government, I am quite sure the governors would gladly have called off the stay home order and everything back to life. This has been demonstrated in the flexibility with which they have gone about the order.

They gave windows of grace to some residents, especially traders who deal in edibles, markets were opened for some periods but in our dear state, it has been total.

Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti have cases like us. Except for Ekiti, the economic development in the other two states, we are yet to match and have you wondered why there are no total lock down in these states? The fear of a bleeding economy.

Even then, considering the mayhem the lock down is brewing in states like Lagos and Ogun, it’s a pointer to the fact that the residents of the state may have it fair share of the unrest should it be extended.

Majorly the hoodlums are reportedly looting houses, taking advantage of the situation. In another case, the idle hoodlums are said to be locked in the battle of supremacy. The residents are living in fear and are keeping vigils to save their houses from attacks.

There are youths in groups already mounting roadblocks, hailing and begging commuters for money in Osun .These are people who should be engaged in one productive activity or the other to fend for themselves but they are home doing nothing. As time goes on, things may change for the worst and they become the devil’s workshop. They are the next Gbese, Awawa, Federal and One million boys. Those boys started like this.

Hunger has been attributed to the highest number of crime committed in the world. We could be seating on keg of gun powder if the stay home order is extended. It may not wane out after the lock. This will definitely be a stain to the garment of relative peace we have been donning- The grandiloquent words with which we have been sweeping investors off their feet.

The virus is said to be deadly and spread like wildfire. So, If we say we should not die of a virus which people are getting cured of, then is it okay for us to die of hunger or make us run riot on our neighbours? It is like creating a problem while solving another. We should not travel that lane. It is impossible for us defeat hunger while we stay at home with our stream of income totally dried. We must balance the equation.

Agreed, many who have the means have saved up and stock their homes, won’t it gets finished along the line? Except for those who belong to the upper class can afford to bear the situation even if it lasts for a year.How many fall in this class?

Well, stimulus packages could have helped salvage issues. The state doesn’t have the wherewithal to feed everyone and no state in the world has. We all should be allowed to go about our different sources of livelihood and feed our family and ourselves the way we have always done. If not, we will all become poor and vulnerable, who cater for us will be a big issue.

And since there are no new case in the state, we do not need extreme measures like this. The state government should restrict movements in and outside the state. The Oyo-Osun border is porous even if when we stay home imported cases could come through our porous borders like the ones we have recorded.

Every evening commercial vehicles take off from Osogbo to neighbouring towns, ignoring the order of the state government. Ondo state is keeping hers tight and it’s not leaving it alone to the security agencies to handle. Government officials are inspecting the agencies manning it to make sure they are not exposing the state to danger. We should do likewise.

The state government can still hold the keys to our learning and worship centers. We careless if we are still barred from holding social events. Our corpses can still remain at the morgues, the attendants can keep lamenting lack of spaces to embalm them. We do not mind to have our wedding put on hold or not give our bundle joy names till the pandemic is over. We can sacrifice all that.

While we give up all mentioned above, the government should open our markets with strict adherence to the principle of social distancing and ensure regular disinfection.

Also like Cross River, Oyetola could make it compulsory for everyone to wear masks and gloves . Or go in the direction of Oyo who declared a curfew. The choice is with Oyetola to make.

But while making it, the Governor has to read the body language of the people of the state who despite all odds have remained obedient. Failure to do this may fuel the fury in them and civil disobedience is inevitable.