Against the Presidential Task Force (PTF) guidelines on Covid-19, many residents in Kaduna state have discarded the use of Face masks , saying the fear of Covid-19 pandemic are over.
Facemasks is one of the major precautionary measures to stop the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 across the globe.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government through the PTF had mandated all citizens to wear nose/face masks in public places following the lifting of the ban on human and vehicular movement and Kaduna state was no exception and its subsequent prosecution of offenders.
Sadly, while the fears are still in place and the directive for the use of nose/face masks still in force, majority of the residents of the state have dumped the advisories and go about without putting on their nose/face masks and, among the category of offenders are operators of commercial vehicle, especially bus drivers and tricycle operators.
In ensuring compliance with the social distancing directives, operators of commercial transport especially members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW were directed to carry not more than five (5) passengers in a ten (10) seater commercial bus. This directive had caused a spike as operators imposed a one hundred percent hike in transport fares across board in the state but with this also came challenges.
While it became necessary for enforcement officers to carry out routine checks at strategic positions to ensure compliance, the Mallam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai administration continued with its advocacy and sensitization programmes even as it appealed to the public to comply with the social distancing measures.
Residents , however, ignored the social distancing directives and equally dumped the use of nose/face masks, not minding the inherent dangers.
It is now a very common feature to see commercial buses fully loaded in the city metropolis with passengers and persons without nose/face masks in markets and crowded environment as against the COVID-19 protocols.
Speaking with a commercial bus driver who pleaded anonymity, “Our elected leaders and politicians have revealed that COVID-19 is not real as they still gather whenever they are pursuing an election”.
“It is a way of stealing money for themselves:, he said.
Similarly, a tricycle operator, Musa Ali also disclosed that he still complies with the social distancing directive even if others do not. “I wear my nose mask every time and ensure that I try to protect myself”.
More so, Obed Kaffoi, a keke rider says government must continue to enforce the use of nose mask in public places especially in market environment so as to safeguard lives.”Though the attitude of some government officials have made a lot of people doubt the existence of pandemic as they see it as a means to chop money and exploit the masses.
