The interstate travel ban imposed on Nigerians as one of the measures to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic was finally lifted on June 30, 2020. TOPE SUNDAY writes on the experience of some passengers.
In the last two weeks, Nigerians have been traversing one state or the other without any hindrance by the government officials courtesy of the eased lockdown and the unbanning of the travel restriction by the government.
Covid-19 in Nigeria
The first confirmed case relating to the Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria was announced on February 12, 2020, when an Italian citizen in Lagos, tested positive for the virus, caused by SARS-CoV-2. Also, On the 9th of March 2020, a second case of the virus was reported in Ewekoro, Ogun state, of a Nigerian citizen who had contact with the Italian citizen.
Also, the first fatality was recorded on March 23, when a 67-year-old Suleiman Achimugu, an engineer and former managing director of Pipelines and products Marketing Company, who returned from United Kingdom with underlying health condition, succumbed to the virus.
Travel restrictions
To stem the spread of the pandemic, President Muhammadu Buhari on March 28, 2020, announced the initial lockdown of Lagos, Ogun states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for 14 days because Lagos and Abuja recorded the majority of confirmed cases of the virus.
In the nationwide broadcast, President Muhammadu Buhari, unveiled some of the measures the federal government had taken to curtail the spread of the dreaded coronavirus that has held the world hostage.
The president in his 65-paragrah address described Covid-19 as a world-wide emergency, and directed that Lagos and Ogun states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) be locked down for 14 days, in the first instance, because Lagos and Abuja had recorded the majority of confirmed cases of the virus.
“As we are all aware, Lagos and Abuja have the majority of confirmed cases in Nigeria. Our focus therefore remains to urgently and drastically contain these cases, and to support other states and regions in the best way we can. “As I mentioned earlier, as at this morning, we had ninety-seven confirmed cases. Majority of these are in Lagos and Abuja. All the confirmed cases are getting the necessary medical care.
“The few confirmed cases outside Lagos and Abuja are linked to persons who have travelled from these centres. We are therefore working to ensure such inter-state and intercity movements are restricted to prevent further spread.
“Based on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC, I am directing the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11:00pm on Monday, March 30, 2020.
“This restriction will also apply to Ogun state due to its close proximity to Lagos and the high traffic between the two states. All citizens in these areas are to stay in their homes. Travel to or from other states should be postponed. All businesses and offices within these locations should be fully closed during this period,” Buhari had said.
Lifting of travel ban
After four months, President Buhari, on June 29, 2020, approved the lifting of restrictions on interstate travel effective from June 30 and extended the second phase of the relaxed lockdown by four weeks beginning from the same date to midnight of Monday, July 27, 2020.
The chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, conveyed President Buhari’s message during the daily briefing on the coronavirus pandemic.
While appreciating the government, the chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Kwara state, Olayinka Onikijipa, commended the federal government for lifting the ban on interstate movement.
Onikijipa described the development as “a welcome decision,” saying the union had put in place guidelines to ensure drivers and passengers do not disobey government’s directives on preventing the spread of Covid-19.
Passengers’ reactions
Before the final unban of the interstate travel restriction, some commercial drivers embarked on skeletal services amidst the risk of contacting Covid-19.
Blueprint Weekend gathered that during the five-week lockdown period, there was astronomical increment in the transport fares.
A commercial driver, Olawarenwaju Lawal, who plied Lagos-Abuja route during the period, told our reporter that each passenger paid up to N15, 000 to travel to Abuja from Lagos.
According to him, the transport fare was jerked up because the passengers were treated in accordance with the laid down measures to tackle Covid-19.
He said, “The transport fare from Abuja to Lagos was jerked up because we were observing social distancing in our cars. Also, we fathomed the security agents into it, because we have to settle them at security check points, if not, they would allow us to pass.
“Also, fuel was another factor because, in some places, our drivers were not allowed to move an inch once it was 10.30pm. So, in that case, they would have to sleep over there and where they did not sleep, they would be at alert in the traffic for hours.”
Though, with the total lifting of the interstate travel restriction, passengers are still having mixed-feelings over the development, our reporter learnt.
A furniture maker, Femi Salami, who returned from Enugu last Monday, told our reporter that he enjoyed his trip because he alongside another passenger sat at the middle row of a Sienna bus from Enugu to Abuja.
“I have been travelling for many years, but my recent travel to Enugu from Abuja was a very unique one. It was stress free because we complied with the Covid-19 preventive guidelines. We sat two persons per row. I was able to stretch my legs. I was a day to behold,” he said.
Despite this, Salami decried what he called hike of the transport fare. According to him, he boarded Enugu to Abuja vehicle N7500 contrary to the N3500/N4000 fare before the outbreak of the pandemic.
“The fare we paid for the transportation from Abuja to Enugu was high contrary to the amount I paid before the advent of the pandemic. I paid N7, 500 to come go to Enugu from Abuja, and I paid the same amount, when I returned. This is not encouraging at all.
“The most annoying thing was the heavy presence of the security agents on the road. This really slowed down our movement. We ought to have spent like seven hours to land in Enugu but security checkpoints delayed our movement. We eventually spent close to 10 hours on the road.
Also, an Abuja based trader, Akin Oluwaseun, who just returned from Ekiti state, also lamented that the hike in the transport fare, but commended commercial drivers for observing Covid-19 protocol in their vehicles.
“I can say categorically that there is a slight increase in transport fare because most of the motorists observe covid-19 protocol with two passengers per row. For example, Ado Ekiti transport fare used to be N5000 from Zuba, but now, it’s N7, 000 or more depending on your luck.
“Of course, nose mask is important with security officials in most instances checking compliance. I witnessed a situation where an officer politely asked those without mask to buy and wear before leaving a checkpoint.
“Security officials are on the roads doing their normal routine. On the state of the roads, it is appalling and nothing to write home about.”
On his part, a Kaduna-based businessman, Malam Ahmad Lawal, expressed disappointment with the way some commercial drivers plying the Abuja-Kaduna road did not comply with the pandemic preventive protocols.
“I boarded a vehicle to Kaduna from Abuja last Friday from Zuba, but the driver did not observe the Covid-19 preventive protocols. He carried four passengers as the middle row and the same number at the back seat. The only grace I had was that I sat in the front seat,” he said.