As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Government has ordered complete lockdown and stay at home in specific states in Nigeria who has been recorded with high cases of the infected individual from the virus. However, some profession was not totally restricted as to their presence outside at this time is helping to bring serenity to the land.
An example is the Nigerian Police Force. This was what took Edward E. Onoriode out on this day. Edward is a Nigerian Policeman in Lagos, Nigeria. He took to his social media page to narrate his ordeal one fateful morning on his way to work. He had reportedly offered a lift to a young woman with a child he saw as he drove past the road.
According to him, as he drove to work that morning, he spotted a woman with a child heading towards the same direction he was going and he couldn’t resist the urge to offer her a lift. He did stop and bade the woman enter. He engaged her with a conversation and from there he got to know about her predicament and offered a little help within his capacity.
Complete details of the story as seen on his Facebook page reads:
“On my way to the office this morning, I saw this middle-age woman & her daughter walking towards Ikeja. So, I slowed down & gave them a lift since I’m heading towards their direction.
On our way, I asked the woman where she’s heading to in this Lockdown, she said Maryland.
I further asked her why she’s going to Maryland bcoz she look so disturbed and unsettled.
In her words “I want to go & see my sister if she can borrow me money so me & my daughter can get something to eat.”
I was so touched.
She continued;
“Throughout yesterday, we drank garri & the garri was given to us by my neighbour. I can’t keep begging for garri bcoz my neighbour is also managing. So, I decided to trek to Maryland to see if my elder sister can lend me N5000 so we can manage to feed ourselves”
I then asked her; “Before the Lockdown, what do you do for a living?”
She said she and her daughter sells Drinks and Water in Traffic. But due to the Lockdown, she can’t sell and if she doesn’t sell, she can’t feed. Meaning, she feeds on the interest she gets daily.
I asked her if she has a bank account. She said; ” I never open an account. Na my Neighbour account I dey use if dem wan send me money and i no sabi her account number.”
I had to drive to the nearest ATM spot at Ikeja, withdraw some money, hand over to her & drop her at Maryland.
Truth is, people are really suffering. For the few of us who have what to eat at any time even if the Lockdown is extended to another two months should do the little we can to assist those who don’t have.
I can’t count the number of people who call me daily asking for money just to feed. Things are really hard. At this point, the govt need to do something ASAP to relieve the suffering of the people else, things will get out of hand in days to come if this Lockdown continues.
There are a lot of people that can’t feed if they don’t hustle.” He concluded
We cannot but appreciate this good deed and sincerely pray God bless him immensely in return.
We hope that many others will be charged up from this and lift up the banner of being help at this time.
We are hoping that COVID-19 outbreak comes to an end sooner than we envisage.
We encourage other Nigerians to lend a helping hand to the needy at this period.
We pray God to heal our land.
