Let Neighborhood Markets And Corner Shops In Port Harcourt Be Opened
KG Nesta
I was taught in primary school that food, clothing, shelter and medicals are basic necessities of man.
It is no longer news that markets and shops are closed in Port Harcourt (PH), the capital city of Rivers State in Nigeria, hence people cannot sell or buy foodstuffs and other essentials. This is appalling as I expect some basic essential services like designated special markets and stores to be made available to serve people during the lockdown period. It is further appalling that pharmaceutical shops/chemists are also locked! People are unable to buy food, drugs and other medications. One needs to be healthy to survive any challenge.
We are told it’s lockdown to fight coronavirus, but I am not seeing fumigation of public buildings and markets, community testing for covid-19 or door to door distribution of palliatives, rather, people are in panic mode, hiding and screaming; “Wike dey come o…..Wike dey come o….Wike dey come o” for fear of being arrested whenever they see the convoy of Governor Wike as he monitors the lockdown, arresting defaulters and sending them to isolation center at the liberation stadium. By the way, for how long will the governor be driving round the city to monitor the lockdown?
Shouldn’t the equation be reversed by locking down coronavirus instead of people? The lockdown is appearing like captivity. Lockdown without access to buy basic necessities is akin to captivity. Imagine not being able to buy common staple food like bread! Bakeries should be allowed to operate and distribute their products to the usual corner shops! I think food should not be locked down! I don’t want to complain about electricity for now. Nevertheless, people should also obey the rules and stay at home!
Let me ask, what advice is Commissioner for Health and Commissioner for Agriculture are giving to the Governor? Or are they not reaching out to the Governor? I decided to call these two commissioners out because their portfolios falls into the basic necessities of man (Food and medicare).
Are the Honourable Commissioners not telling the Governor that food services and pharmaceuticals
How can there be a commissioner for agriculture, and markets are closed without any alternatives for people to buy foodstuffs? How can there be a Commissioner for Agriculture, and people are starving when there is no famine, but due to a warped policy!
How can there be a Commissioner for Health, and pharmaceutical outlets are closed! If his principal is not listening to him, he should take a path of honor and quit accordingly.
Honestly, I wish to advise Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) to begin to hold any of its members that serves in government accountable. If the principal (Governor or President) is not listening to him, he should resign or risks being dismissed as member of the NMA. How can a medical officer be in a Government as health commissioner and citizens are being denied of basic healthcare in the name of lockdown! That is an insult, embarrassing and aberration to his professional calling! How can he allow his years of practice and professionalism
Gov Wike should quickly allow access to markets and pharmaceutical stores. If major markets, supermarkets and shops are closed, he should, at least, allow neighborhood markets and street corner shops to be opened.
He should be fighting coronavirus and not putting people through hunger. It is time to lockdown coronavirus and not people or economy.
Gov. Wike surely have good intentions to protect the people, but he should be more strategic in avoiding hunger. He should allow people to have access to buy foodstuffs and groceries and access to pharmaceuticals
No matter the palliatives he distributes, it cannot go round PH and cannot last for more than 3 days for those that got.
The best palliatives is to give access to people to buy foodstuffs, patent drugs, groceries, toiletries and other essentials e.t.c.
