Like a flock of birds that had been expecting freedom, many residents of Lagos State and the Federal Capital Territory trooped out of their homes on Monday after about six weeks of lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.
Bus stops witnessed many passengers going to their various offices; gridlock was seen on major highways that had been deserted all this while; bank premises were filled to the brim.
“I had to go to the bank to report a failed transaction; I wanted to use a POS (Point of Sale) machine at a store three weeks into the lockdown. The transaction failed but my account was debited.
“I couldn’t wait for my bank to open to complain about the transaction so they could rectify it. That’s why even though I knew banks would be filled up, I still went there on Monday. I can’t forgo the money; I’m broke,” Kunle Sunmonu, a Lagos-based teacher, told our correspondent.
Another bank customer based in Abuja, Friday James, said he visited the bank on Monday to complain about a failed N100, 000 transaction during the lockdown.
“I sell building products and I supplied one of my customers before the lockdown started. Three days after the lockdown started, the customer sent N100, 000 into my account but I didn’t receive any credit alert.
“I was among those who hurried to the bank as early as 7am on Monday. Even at that, I was number 70 in the queue. After I spent about four hours with no hope of being attended to, I had to leave,” he said.
A civil servant, Mrs Elizabeth Olurunnisola, said she couldn’t be happier to drive on the streets of Lagos again after many weeks in what she described as “detention.”
She said, “It was like I was detained all this while. I’m an extrovert and staying indoors is not my thing. Coming out again on Monday was a huge relief, which was however marred by the gridlock on the Third Mainland Bridge.
“All the same, it feels good to be outdoors again and we all hope the COVID-19 pandemic would end and there would be total easing of the lockdown.”
An Abuja-based sales manager, Chijioke Martins, said his debit card was trapped by an Automated Teller Machine during the lockdown and he needed to replace it immediately, which was why he rushed to the bank on Monday.
“Unfortunately, as I got to my bank branch at Zuba, I had to leave immediately. The crowd was too large,” he said.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), had on March 30 ordered lockdown in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states for an initial period of 14 days, followed by a two-week extension, which ended on April 27.
Several other states had introduced similar restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.
However, the President extended the lockdown for one more week, adding that there would be a gradual easing of the lockdown from May 4, based on the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
Throwing caution to the wind But as the economy partially reopened on Monday– except in Ogun State, where the Governor, Dapo Abiodun, extended the lockdown in the state by one week to further curtail the coronavirus spread – many residents of Lagos and the FCT were seen crowding at banks and bus stops.
However, in several pictures and videos that popped up on the Internet, they were seen defying the social distancing directive of the Federal Government.
In one of the videos, some impatient customers of a new generation bank in Lagos were seen climbing the fence of the bank building to enter the premises. Several other customers were seen outside complaining of not being able to enter the banking hall.
Apart from flouting the social distancing directive, many others defied the face masks wearing directive.
In another video, some customers were seen trying to forcefully enter the premises of a new generation bank in the Ikotun area of Lagos.
Also in the commercial city, many commercial transport workers and passengers were observed to have violated the social distancing directive even though some of them wore face masks. Many commuters were seen crowded at bus stops across the city.
An accountant who lives at Ketu but works at Victoria Island, Jumoke Kolapo, said the bus parks were filled up with commuters while she was on her way to work on Monday.
She said, “There were many commuters at the bus stops. There was gridlock on the Third Mainland Bridge too. Everyone was trying to get their life back after the lockdown.
“It wasn’t easy to stay at home for such a long time; everybody would want to come out – though it was not strange; Mondays are usually busy in Lagos.”
A civil servant in Abuja, Collins Onoja, said he couldn’t help it but to visit the bank on Monday but had to turn back on sighting many customers who did not wear face masks and flouted the social distancing rule.
“I visited my bank at Wuse 2 on Monday but there was a large crowd. Many people didn’t wear face masks and there was zero social distancing. I even learnt some bank customers were giving numbers. I had to drive back home. Health is important. I could imagine someone with the coronavirus among the crowd. The consequence would be fatal!” he told Sunday PUNCH on the telephone.
