WHY IS THE NORTH MOVING DOWN SOUTH DESPITE LOCKDOWN?
The patterns are connected but the motive is unclear. Since the onset of the pandemic, there has been an incessant influx of Northerners to the Southern part of Nigeria.
They travel hundreds of miles by road seeking to gain entry into States that have shut their borders due to the pandemic.
A week ago, it was a ten-tyre interstate lorry loaded with Northerners who were sandwiched with agricultural produce, attempting to gain entrance into Rivers State despite the lockdown orders but were intercepted by the State Governor, Gov Nyesom Ezenwo Wike – CON, who was on an enforcement patrol.
Few days later, a similar case involving a Toyota Sienna with the inscription "PRESS", was conveying Northerners, who were attempting to gain entrance into Anambara State in the dead of the night. None of the passengers identified as a journalist.
The same scenario played out at the Enugu border, where a motorcyclist confessed to have driven all the way from the North to Enugu just to begin motorcycle transport business.
Some states such as Osun, Ogun, Ebonyi, Ondo and Lagos have witnessed similar cases and pattern of migration which leaves a burdening question on the role of the state governors in the Northern region with respect to controlling border movement. Such restrictions are necessary to limit the spread of the COVID-19 to other states.
The virus spread widely due to unregulated inter/intra state movement. State governments must be at alert to nip this gross irresponsibility, carelessness and defiance of travellers by the bud so as to forestall a rippling spread of the virus across the country.
Northern governors are hereby called to order to regulate their borders.
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