By Justice-godfrey Okamgba
10th May 2020 will forever remain a tragic experience for the owners of the two demolished hotels in RIVER STATE. Know this – Prior to the demolition, Gov Nyesom Ezenwo Wike – CON had signed Executive Order 6 which banned the operation of hotels across the 23 Local Goverment Areas of the State. He even engaged traditional rulers to guarantee maximum compliance. A national broadcast was made too. This is how far he went.
The impetus behind Executive Order 6 is to ensure the effective control of the spread of Coronavirus in the state. In a civilized society, any socially responsible business should be compliant. Nevertheless, the owners of the demolished hotels acted otherwise.
Before you give your verdict, you need to understand that it’s only the healthy that talks about how to make money. But an average COVID-19 patient only thinks of how to recover. Just like the Donald J. Trump will always say ”we are fighting an invisible enemy. All hands must be on deck but the least you could do is to be law-abiding.
Honestly, it’s quite pitiful to loose millions of Naira within 30 minutes. Still, the two ambitious business owners broke the law. It’s as simple as that. Laws are made to ensure peace and stability in every society and the governed are expected to be law-abiding. It’s a quid pro quo.
If lawlessness remains anarchic, it may expand into full-fledged revolt. NIGERIANS must learn how to obey simple rules. Our rule compliance rating nosedived many years ago. Maybe the institutions are too fragile to enforce compliance.
In LAGOS, it is the same situation. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his team spent hours developing ease of lockdown guidelines for Lagosians, but it seems to be a wasted effort. Subordination is zero. For instance, it was announced on the broadcast and print media that there will be no movement from 8 pm. That’s balderdash!
We are in a morally decadent society where abnormalities seem normal. So, for those Nigerians who have criticized Governor Nyesom Wike for enforcing a law that was already made, you may need to rethink. I sense a battle between Emotions and simple Logic.
When you break the law, you face the consequences. This act of disobedience by those guys already cost them millions of Naira. Their businesses are gone. Employees automatically lost their jobs. It wouldn’t be a surprise if these employees are owed for the previous month. The negative implications will massive.