Following the stay-at-home order pronounced by the Rivers State government, as part of measures to contain the spread of coronavirus pandemic in the state, some printers and traders have listed the pains of restriction on their businesses.
At Mile-One Diobu, by Udi and Abakaliki Streets, known as the hub of printing business in Port Harcourt, Mr. Ayo Shoyonbo of Ayus Prints expressed the fear that since the outbreak of coronavirus and confirmation of two cases in Rivers State, life has been different from what it used to be.
“There are days I shut down completely because sometimes I opened the shop and returned with little or nothing, meaning that I just spent money on transport to and fro my office for nothing,” he said.
He also complained that business has been generally low as the ban on social gathering is still in force: “For us printers, our jobs depend on activities in the social circle and events around other businesses and government. Nobody is printing jobs now. Even churches have maintained low-key activities.”
He warned that if measures are not in place to cushion the effects of the stay-at-home order, many households will run out of money and food and crime rates will increase. He lamented that palliatives put in place by the government may not go round the critical sect who required the most help.
Also speaking, Ugochukwu Moses, a cord machine operator lamented that his big machine may be affected by lack of use for a long time.
Ugochukwu said without running the machines due to scarcity of jobs to print there would be need to service the machines.
According to him, “Some of us work on target for our business owners, that means the term of doing the business will be reconsidered as things are no longer the same.
“I also know that our shop rent will expire in May and since we have not been working, I don’t know how we can meet up this time”.
Also, a cutter (operator of cutting machine) Adewale Akinola, stated that business for him had slow down so much that he could not meet up with his monthly target given to him by his manager. “The jobs I do here are registered per day. I have a particular amount I must pay into my boss account per month. It is after the payment that I can determine my take home.
But I know my target for the month cannot be met presently, people no longer patronize printers like that because they too are out of business”.
In his own reaction, a 201 machine operator, who gave his name as Owolabi said that before the coming of COVID-19 business was doing well and he used to come to the office early to attend to jobs. “Since this thing started, I come to work late or I don’t come at all. When I come and having nothing to do, I go back sad. I pray there will be urgent solution. Government is helping us by telling people to stay at him, but we need to eat. Nobody will help me pay the rents for my house and shop.
But on the part of some traders, this is certainly not the best of time. According to Happiness Mordi, a pepper seller at fruit garden, business has taken a very low turn. She stated that before now, her daily sales afford her opportunity to do daily contribution.
“Before coronavirus started, I used to contribute N1,000 daily to Akawo, to help me meet up with many things. Now government has said we should close market, how do I sustain myself and family?
“The only thing I do is to sell to customers who have my phone contact”. She also lamented that her commodities are perishable items which often result in loses instead of gains.
Meanwhile, some traders around major markets have devised means of coping with the times by shutting their shops in compliance with government’s directives, yet they stick around for customers who would come around and ask for their wares. Similarly, in the evening, many will be out for brisk business in order the make sales.
