By Balogun Damilola
Some Lagos residents on Thursday expressed mixed feelings on the planned ease of lockdown of the state.
The state has been on lockdown for a month now in an effort to reduce the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
President Muhammadu Buhari announced gradual relaxation of the lockdown in a nationwide broadcast on Monday night.
He said that gradual opening of Lagos, Ogun and Abuja would begin on May 4.
In interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), some Lagos residents hailed the decision while the others expressed worry that the relaxation could result in more infections.
Mr Emmanuel Oladele, a 50-year-old engineer, who resides at Ogba, said that easing the lockdown would be in the interest of the populance.
“Government felt the pains of the citizens. The masses are suffering; the palliatives did not circulate well.
“People can now go for their daily activities starting from Monday but with a little adjustment which l consider very fair,” he said.
Oladele said that those who depended on daily income would be able to put food on their tables, with the ease of the lockdown.
” I am grateful that we will have to go out again without being questioned by the police.
“The government has done well,” he said.
Mrs Amaka Chike, a food seller, who lives at Agege, said that easing the lockdown was a welcome development.
“Before the lockdown, l made a minimum of N6,500 as profit but now, I manage to make N1,300 gain in a day.
“This is because only few people buy; many are broke,” she said.
Chike said that some of her customers had been buying on credit with a promise to pay when lockdown would be relaxed.
“I am happy that the government would relax the lockdown starting from Monday, so that those who bought on credit can pay me.
“I believe this phase shall pass and the virus will go back to where it came from,” she said.
However, Mr Temiloluwa Aina, a civil servant, who lives at Egbeda, said that relaxing the lockdown might not be the best for Lagos at the moment.
Aina said that COVID-19 rate in Nigeria, especially Lagos, had been increasing daily.
“Why is it now that the virus is hitting high in Lagos that they want us to go out? It is risky.
“We were asked to stay at home when we had few cases and asked to go out now that the cases are much,” he said.
Aina said that Lagos would need total lockdown rather than relaxation in order to tackle the spread of the virus.
“The rate at which the virus is spreading is alarming and I am afraid,” he said.
Also, Mr Tunde Sunday, a public servant who resides at Abule-Egba, said that easing the lockdown was not advisable.
” What is needed now is total lockdown.
“I follow the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Facebook and Twitter.
“Nigeria recorded the highest daily number yesterday which was 196 cases.
“Lagos alone had 87 cases and death toll increased to 51 in Nigeria. This is scary; so, how do we curb the virus when we have been told to go out?
“I don’t see the transporters especially Lagos ‘yellow’ buses complying with government directives, it won’t work in Lagos ,” he said.
” I am appealing to the Federal Government to shut down the country so that we can live.
“COVID-19 kills faster than hunger,” he claimed.