We Can Not Stay At Home & Die, The Government Should Produce More Nose Masks ~ Ewu-Elepe Resident

Mr. Babatunde Oladeji based in Ewu-Elepe Area of Ikorodu. A father of 3 Children. A tricycle operator and a Muslim by Religion. He comes out to work only on evening basis to try and get something for his family to survive. He told INN that there is no way they can survive onless he comes out to work every evening.

“Although We need the total lockdown so we can find a solution to this crisis, but it is actually affecting us because we cannot sustain ourselves with what we have at hand”, said Babatunde.

INN: But do you know about the free food Relief Packages been shared by the government through our LCDA’S & Local Government?

Mr Babatunde: We heard about the Giving of food items which is okay for sharing because if the government should share money it will be embezzled by some few people. I am begging the government to ensure that they reach the inner towns with these palliatives because Notting is easy right now for us. We have not received anything in this area of Ikorodu.

INN: So it means you can not stay indoors?

Mr. Babatunde: We are hungry and cannot stay indoors. Should we die inside the house? Even though staying inside is the best thing to do right now, we still don’t have money and food stuffs anymore at home, so we have to come out and work for a little while before the day ends completely.

“People who have gotten palliative should not complain but for us who have not seen anything we are still expecting to hear from the government but in the meantime we need to find something to eat and our children are waiting for us at home”. He continued.

INN: Is there no way we can actually try and manage ourselves in these times while we expect more from the government?

Mr Babatunde: As a Muslim I also believe that when the fasting starts in the next few days, it will help alot of us to be able to manage ourselves more at home because right now me and my 3 children & wife we eat little in the morning, my wife and I don’t eat in the afternoon but my children take biscuits, then we manage whatever I make from my tricycle business which is a hire purchased keke to feed them in the evening.

“My wife just left the market now after buying some few things for evening food, we are only praying to God for protection but she also uses the nose mask just like myself”. He added.

INN: What is your advice to the State Government at this point.

Mr Babatunde: My advice is for the government to not only support the masses with food supplies. The people need nose masks and gloves too because we can’t even afford it anymore, it is 300 naira now even if you see anyone selling it, the one I have on me I have been managing it for a long time, It is my wife that sew this local nose masks for me to use at work.

If this virus is mostly transmitted when people with it are talking then it means our government needs to now work on getting more nose masks most especially for these market people because they can not stop operating to get their daily bread.

“For the record no palliative has come to Ewu-Elepe on like what we are seeing in other LCDA’S, I hope we are part of Ikorodu too”. He concluded.