Presidential Charge:
Nigerians React
RHODA Nomhwange
Makurdi
The Federal Ministry of Health confirmed the first COVID-19 case in Lagos State, Nigeria on the 27th of February 2020, since the beginning of the outbreak in China in 2019. The index case was a Nigerian based Italian citizen who returned from Milan, Italy to Lagos, Nigeria on the 25th of February 2020. He was confirmed by the Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, part of the Laboratory Network of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. The Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Health has since then being strengthening measures including lockdown of Lagos, Federal Capital Territory Abuja and Ogun States with subsequent directives and guidelines from the Presidency and Health Experts since the virus crisis was declared a pandemic by the World Health Education. President Buhari’s state of the nation address on 27th April, 2020 has elicited reactions from Nigerians across different strata of the society.
Nathaniel Awuapila the Executive Facilitator, Centre for Innovative Research and a Global Development expert said from the abridge history of pandemics since 1918, no success is achieved through lockdown. The President’s address did not highlight speeding out measures out of the pandemic in an appreciable manner in terms of data or statistics. To him, the speech does not represent the true reality on ground but a mere understatement of realities. On the aspect of partial lifting of the lockdown and the effect it will bring, he said it has come to a time where people should adopt the use of facemasks, social distancing and security agencies are supposed to enforce this without violation of the right of anybody. The directive that citizens should use facemasks without providing same is a human right violation. He stated further that there is no plan in the address for research fund in finding cure for covid-19. One would have expected a more directive action by the President on the issue of research, more so that the Academic Staff Union of Universities are even on strike at the moment the country needs their services more than ever.
On his part, Gimba Mohammed, Chairman Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Minna Niger State said the President’s broadcast has nothing new except the relaxing of lockdown. According Gimba “the President has not told us how much has been put in this fight or how much is used or how the shortage of kits will be taken care of. The speech is merely appreciating Nigerians and still promising to do more.”
George, The Executive Director,Young African Star, a civil society organization based in Enugu with bias in youth development, community development and good governance said that the president’s speech on continued lockdown of FCT, Lagos and Ogun and the ease of it would increase cases of infected persons. And the speech directing increased of testing centers like in Kano is important to relaxing the health system.
Omoniwa Gift, Development Expert and Peace-building Practitioner in Kogi State said the people’s welfare is of utmost importance in this pandemic. It goes beyond any economic consideration as shown in the President’s address. To her, the President is showing more reverence for the economy than the welfare and health need of the people.
Rotimi Olanipekun, an Ekiti based Economist opined that the speech has fallen short of the expectation of Nigerians. To him, the president is merely watching the body language of the global community without adequate expert reviews.
The question that is calling for answers is when Nigeria follows the way of other world leaders who have taken the welfare of their citizen as a matter of priority by giving out food and other needs and precautionary items like face mask free of charge or perhaps follow
In addition to the steps taken thus far, it is in order if Nigeria can follow the direction of countries like Madagascar that has developed a treatment, made available to citizens free to fight the pandemic. As at 26th April, 2020 no positive cases were recorded in Madagascar. More so, follow the direction of United State of America, China United Kingdom and other European Countries that have committed large sum of fund to funding research as a way of finding solution to the pandemic.
