Kunle Adelabu
Residents of Ikorodu, on Wednesday (yesterday) continued their lamentation over their inability to get food items as the COVID-19 inspired lockdown of Lagos State entered the second day.
Some of the residents that were at the Government Technical College, Ikorodu, venue of the proposed Lagos State Emergency Food Market, were left disappointed as the market could not take off as scheduled.
They expressed anger over the absence of the officials of the State government in charge of the market at the venue for the takeoff despite placing a notice on the entrance of the venue that the market would become operational on Wednesday (yesterday).
A woman, who spoke with THE IMPACT, stated that she came to purchase food items based on the notice placed on the entrance of the venue but that she was surprised that there was nothing on ground.
“We have been here waiting for the people (officials) that supposed to make food items available for us to buy because we were told that this place (Technical College) is a venue for the State government emergence market but nobody is here. We are hungry and there is nothing for us eat.
“They were nowhere to be found. We are hungry. We don’t know what they are doing with this Coronavirus. We are tired”.
Another lady, who also spoke with THE IMPACT, stated that :
“We came here with our money to buy food items but they are not here. We are hungry. We are suffering. Please, help us. We are suffering”.
Another female resident, who accompanied her friends to make purchase, also lamented over the effects of the lockdown on the masses.
“We are tired of staying at home because there is no food to eat. What is the essence of staying at home?
“Government should open the markets and let us buy things that we need. The sickness (Coronavirus) is only with the elite and not with the downtrodden people.
“Don’t make us to suffer. Enough of this. We are tired of staying at home”.
An elderly woman, who also spoke with our reporter, also pleaded that the government should make markets accessible to enable her and others to get food to eat.
“Please, help us. There is nothing to eat. I came here to get what to eat”, she pleaded.
Our reporters, who also went round the town to monitor compliance to the ‘stay at home’ order, were also inundated with pleadings by the people that government should open markets that are closed across Ikorodu for business and also support the people with social aid to enable them abide with the ‘stay at home’ directive.
However, attempts to speak with some state government officials at the scene on the failure of the Lagos State emergency market to take off in Ikorodu as scheduled proved abortive.
Meanwhile, residents have started defying the ‘stay at home ‘ order by government as people were seen on the street in large number around Obun-Ale, Ejina and Aga axis and other areas in Ikorodu.
People were also seen walking along most streets in Igbogbo and Ipakodo, despite the presence of uniformed security men at some strategic points screening vehicles and motorcycles.
