Lagos COVID-19 Figures: Myths Or Reality?

Lagos State needs help, the state is literally convulsing and in the worst state of disrepair. It has never been this bad, our roads are in a deplorable state, a journey from Maryland to Ikorodu which ordinarily would take less than 20 minutes now takes 4 to 5 hours, people are dying in their large numbers certainly not from COVID 19, but stress, occasioned by bad road that the government continues to neglect, it is the same situation name it, all over Lagos.

While this is going on, the governor is busy chasing shadows, giving daily brief on COVID, by the way, Sanwo-Olu is neither a medical doctor or a scientist, one wonders what value his appearances have made, especially for the fact that the state has a health commissioner and his deputy a medical practitioner.

The foundation of our challenge rises from the fact that our government especially in APC controlled states, and the Federal have the humongous challenge of conviction when they speak simply put, they lack credibility. Lots of people in Lagos today take the issue of COVID-19 with a wave of the hand, so much levity primarily because there is no trust, they believe that the government and their agents are falsifying figures daily, thereby enriching themselves in billions of Naira without verifiable records and accountability. Over 80% of Lagosians believe that there is no COVID-19 and that it is a government owned and engineered scam. Most Lagosians treat the issue like a tea party even with a confirmed rate of 6840, 82 deaths and recovered rate of 1137 as at 15th June, 2020!

The Governor, Sanwo-Olu emphasizes the need for social distancing and mask wearing, meanwhile the Lagos Rapid Transport (BRT) which has a capacity of 42 passengers, recently increased its fare from N250 to N500 (100% increase), as if that is not bad enough, the same BRT carries a full load of 42 passengers with some of their staff standing. Where is the place of social distancing? There is neither the enforcement of face mask wearing or the use of sanitizers before entering the buses, even the BRT bus stops are densely crowded always with passengers standing chest to chest. The far reaching devastating and debilitating effects remains incomprehensible.

Therefore, if the daily figures being churned out as those infected with COVID-19 in Lagos is real, it means the governor is effectively using the state owned bus system as an efficient and positive means of transmitting COVID-19, or that the figures are manipulated like election results for gains that need to be investigated.
Needless to say, the lies and disbelief continues.

Finally, could this be the reason amongst others why our figures in Lagos appreciates daily like the Dollar while our confidence level for the government of the day drops like the Naira? because as they say, the eagle doesn’t capture flies (Aquila non capitat muscas).

To my fellow Lagosians, despite our deepening trust level in our rulers, please keep safe for there is truly COVID-19 and the sucker is a deadly killer!

John Obi is a Public Affairs Analyst