Cabs taking three people now in Abuja
Amidst all the drama and near panic about COVID-19, I am glad that the FCT Administration finally got one thing right. The cabs that usually carry two people in front and four at the back have stopped doing that. Even though the cab fare has increased to compensate for less number of passengers, the cabs […]
Amidst all the drama and near panic about COVID-19, I am glad that the FCT Administration finally got one thing right. The cabs that usually carry two people in front and four at the back have stopped doing that. Even though the cab fare has increased to compensate for less number of passengers, the cabs now take one person in front and three people at the back. I am really glad that the cabs at Jabi are now making an attempt to practice safe distancing. A friend of mine told me that cabs in Anambra take just two people at the back. This is such a relief. I am glad that the government is taking this virus seriously and that they are doing something to turn things around. It would be really nice if this could continue even after the eradication of the Coronavirus. It would also reduce infection rates in Nigeria generally. Kudos to the FCT Minister.
Beatrice Aboh, Abuja
Jail time for people who don’t want to self-isolate
The Coronavirus has spread really fast. It is bad enough the government just closed the borders. Some people who flew into Nigeria from some of the affected countries refused to be tested and also self-isolate for the recommended days. I think this is sheer wickedness. Only a wicked person would refuse to be tested for this virus that can be asymptomatic. One could have the virus and not know because they are not exhibiting the symptoms. It is more dangerous to be asymptomatic. If they didn’t want to be tested, they should have stayed in the country they flew in from. These uncaring people should be arrested and jailed. They should be punished one way or the other because this is simply intent to cause harm. One could be cured of the virus if one detects it early, gets treated and self-isolates. There is nothing to be scared of. The key to beating this virus is early detection and eating right to boost your immune system.
Sotayo Ayodele, Calabar
IDPs need therapy
I recently read an article that shocked me. I knew we had a lot of IDPs but I didn’t know they were that many. The terror that has ravaged this country is heartbreaking. The article says that IDPs may suffer from mental illness. When I think about it, there’s no reason they shouldn’t suffer from such illness. They experienced traumatic and heart-wrenching episodes without being rehabilitated properly. The government should have provided them with mental health doctors who would give them the therapy they need to cope with life after terror. Their families were killed and maimed. They were torn away from their homes. That is enough to destabilize a person. I call on the government to please provide good psychiatric hospitals for them so they can get the right care they need.
Adamu Haruna, Kano
Reform pharmaceuticals
Some people were rushed to the hospital because of chloroquine poisoning. They assumed the drug could prevent them from contracting the Coronavirus. They were in for the shock of their lives. This is the reality of Nigerians. No one bothers to verify information. We all rely on the word of mouth. This wouldn’t be the case if we had a well-regulated pharmaceutical system. Every pharmacy should ask for a prescription. Majority of Nigerians self-medicate to the detriment of their health. If we had this kind of system in place, it would reduce this dreadful practice significantly, and people would be educated on the dangers of self diagnosing and self medicating. Symptoms could be as a result of an underlying disease but you wouldn’t know because you assume everything is malaria. It would do us a lot of good to change our mindsets about this issue. We would be saving a lot of lives.
Loveth Nnaji, Abeokuta