Civil servants in Rivers State have appealed to the government to pay them the March salary to enable them buy food and avoid severe hunger during the stay-at-home order to curb the spread of the deadly Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
Some of the workers told The Guardian it was necessary to release their March salary to enable them buy food and other necessities.
The workers, who craved anonymity, said such palliative measures would help them adhere to the preventive rules mapped out by the Governor Nyesom Wike.
Wike had on Thursday outlined additional measures to check the spread of COVID-19 in the state, ordering all civil servants from Grade Levels one to 10 to remain at home from Friday, March 27, until further notice.
He further directed that all markets in the state, no matter how small, should remain closed with effect from today, Saturday, March 28.
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One of the workers, said, “There is a lockdown everywhere and we have been asked to stay at home without salaries, without food; to me that is disastrous.
“We are appealing to government to help us release the March salary to enable us to buy some foodstuff, which prices are rising per hour.”
Another said, “A basin of garri that was sold for N3,000 is now selling for N6,000 and there are fears that the prices may further increase; yet we have no food, no money. It is really worrisome.”
The workers, however, commended the state government for the preventive measures adopted to tackle the pandemic but stressed that it would be of no effect if palliative measures were not put in place.
At press time, it was gathered that the state government has relaxed restrictions to vehicles bringing food items to the state.
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