Corona Virus – Governor Obaseki Addresses State Bans above 50 Gatherings . Citizens Shocked on Social Media !

About the COVID-19 Broadcasts

One national broadcast came yesterday. I think it was an unfortunate anticlimax. Maybe we really didn’t need it. The man is tired.

Then Governor Obaseki made his broadcast today. I would say it is late and relatively ineffective. Many things were wrong with the broadcast.

1. I didn’t FEEL any confidence. Maybe I am wrong. The prepared and read speech sounded too academic to me. We have actually passed the point for military-style addresses read sitting down with microphones lined up. It’s so antediluvian. An unwritten address with written points would have communicated with me better as a sign of being in touch and in charge. It would also have communicated the urgency this situation requires.

2. Is it the duty of a governor to give emergency numbers! Who does that? His place is to allay our fears, give us a posture of one who’s in charge and let his lieutenants and media aids do the rest. There should be LOUD public enlightenment campaigns on right now already. Phone numbers and visual displays of what to do should be on by now. We seem to be able to get congratulatory messages and campaign jingles out faster than vital health information. A parent asked me in school on Friday last week if the virus has reached Nigeria!

3. What’s the total bed space of all the hospitals mentioned by the governor? Will they be able to take patients from just one ward in Edo State if the pandemic breaks? The Indoor Sports Hall of the Sam Ogbemudia Stadium, the hostels and Hall in Imaguero Girls and even the UniBen hostels should be prepped for eventuality now. China built a hospital in 10 days to handle the sudden release.

4. Crowd of 50 banned. Lol. We’ve passed that. Long ago. Germany just banned any crowd more than 2! How many people congregate DAILY in our markets? 50 ke? How many people are in 3rd Junction per time? What’s this 50 magic number. Is a crowd of 49 safer? Or even 20?

5. The government didn’t seem to know what to say about public transportation other than that there would be less congestion. I don’t understand. You want Comrade Buses to carry five people? Where will it happen? Are government public transport systems already armed with sanitizers? Is there private sector monitoring?

6. Civil servants working from home? Well, I assume there are online duties they can perform or gatemen will keep their office gates from home? They need to take a break and be on alert if or when needed to help with emergency. And in keeping with the culture of early salary payment of the government, they need to earn now so they can get provisions for a likely long term lockdown!

7. What about an appeal to Shylock marketers to stop exploiting citizens by selling sanitizers for a fortune! What about supplies. I didn’t get face mask to buy in town today no matter how hard I tried. They’re out of stock! Already. A small sanitizer bottle going for N900, instead of about N300. China produced sanitizers and also enforced price control.

8. Every speech that addresses existential challenges would always have a God factor. It doesn’t mean we won’t do our best but it just isn’t complete without asking God to help our efforts and calling on the people to both observe health protocol and pray. Italy is asking for prayers now.

9. From the speech, we still have ONE TESTING CENTRE IN EDO STATE? Or I didn’t hear well? Is this serious? Maybe I didn’t hear well.

10. This address needed to immediately indicate the likelihood of a lockdown. This address should talk about local transport system bringing people into Benin by road and by air. The transport lines that bring people to Benin from Lagos need special monitoring. It may sound harsh but as some people have canvassed, outright restriction of movement from Lagos to Beni can and should be considered.

If this speech is what we have been waiting for since this crisis broke in Lagos and the numbers began to rise, I can tell you that the speech brought no succour to those who know what they’re doing.

https://web.facebook.com/mike.omoregbee/posts/10212521296666878