By Ikechukwu Agada
SAs usual, the political establishment is out in full force to contain the dreaded hydra-headed Covid-19 (Coronavirus) threatening the world, signposting that sports and common challenge (crisis) unite Nigerians faster than religion, ethnicity and the likes.
The giant of Africa is blessed with resilient and intelligent professionals with a history of patience in managing common challenges. It is therefore food for thought for her leaders why she is not one of the best nations of the world despite these virtues.
The Coronavirus pandemic is becoming a wind (global emergency) that is blowing across the world showing the strengths and weaknesses of nations based on leadership. It has become a yardstick for measuring great nations in terms of capacity, technology and leadership. The world as a global village is on its knees (despite technological expertise) forcing nations to depend on itself to survive.
This means that any nation that cannot help itself out of the menace is on a short distance to extinction and economic stagnation.
The virus is the same globally; it does not move, people do and when they self-isolate, it is easily contained. Online business and shopping (E-commerce) where engagements and contactless delivery are involved ought to be promoted to encourage social distancing for the basic things of life. The approach to its containment is based on leadership and makes nations distinct. This is definitely not the time to depend on foreign imports as nations, borders and economies are under lock and key precipitating self-production and self-dependency. This is also not the best time to play politics but to show leadership to save lives.
The unceremonious barring of some media houses critical of the federal government’s inadequacies is analogue and alien in such a time when information is key to surviving.
Life is precious and should be treated as such, therefore any Nigerian irrespective of the social, political and financial status who demonstrates symptoms of this virus should be isolated to save lives. If Boris Johnson and Prince Charles’ Coronavirus status could be made public then nobody in Nigeria should be treated like a sacred cow. It is criminal and against medi etiquette to hide such dangerous information from the public because of societal status.
Leadership is basically needed at this time in Nigeria to toe the path of some proactive nations that contained this Coronavirus to avoid it escalating beyond control. At a time where social distancing is paramount, Nigerian Correctional Centres (formerly Nigerian Prisons Service) should decongest inmates as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus. Under this deadly pandemic, the Correctional Service Act ought to be revisited to free some inmates in line with global standards. It is time to activate the prerogative of the mercy law across the states to effectively manage the crisis because the Nigerian correctional infrastructure is in a sorry state. The Correctional Service Reform on the exclusive list of the National Assembly should be treated with urgency to save many innocent inmates.
Federal and state governments need to provide palliatives just like the Lagos State government, to encourage Nigerians in this period of mass self-isolation to reduce the suffering of people. The National Assembly needs to review the constitution to accommodate fire disaster and disease outbreak to position Nigeria as a proactive nation before the world. The healthcare, education, emergency economic stimulus and other important welfare bills should be National Assembly’s topmost considerations to encourage domestic production and discourage importation and tourism for such purposes. Time to fix the Nigerian healthcare system is now since some leaders have been cultured to travel abroad for medical tourism.
Nations will rise and some others will fall after the menace. Nigeria should view the Coronavirus pandemic as a springboard for rebirth. The pandemic too shall pass. If Nigeria succeeded with Ebola, she would be victorious against the Coronavirus causing havoc around the world.
- Ikechukwu Agada, bishopagada@yahoo.com
