By Bassey Bassey
SIR: The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is currently tracing over 4,000 individuals that have been exposed to the confirmed cases.
At this point, it is glaring to all that Nigeria and its handlers are beginning to get overwhelmed as warned by experts; in the midst of this crisis are a large population of Nigerians who do not believe or care about the COVID-19 spread. To them it is an elitist virus and for all they care should ravage them at the top.
While a time like this should necessitate a whole-of-government and whole-of-society intervention, the government in its usual high handedness have gone on to press hard on the people by the abrupt shutting down of markets, shops and everything that the average Nigerian depends on for survival all in the name of keeping the people safe without providing any alternative.
How safe will the people be when they have no food to feed on or money to purchase from the serving capitalist businesses who care less about the people but their profit?
It’s over three months since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic; yet up till this moment Nigeria does not have a COVID-19 National Response Strategy (NRS). What we have so far are states doing all within their powers to keep their territories safe.
However, none of the strategy considers the suffering of the poor street kid, the widows, the senior citizens; the National Assembly has also not made any emergency law(s) to reduce the suffering of the people.
Interestingly while government continues to shift the burden of responsibility to the already impoverished populace, they are also swift to enforce shutdown and, in many cases, abusing the rights of the people.
There are trending videos of Police Task Forces destroying goods and properties of people yet we do not have a strategy of how the people would survive during this period; even people who sell food have been asked to close by this overzealous police men in direct contravention to government directive.
Wuhan the epicentre of the COVID-19 virus was in lockdown and this was possible because beyond the behavioral change messaging that every resident of WUHAN received, local authorities had established relationship with the central government and autonomy to help their people adapt to their new lifestyles and public health lifestyle.
The WUHAN people were not terrorised by government because of the clarity and political will in tackling the virus. The people considered themselves partners and became passionate to own the process.
WUHAN authorities used apps and smartphones to escalate information about local clusters where people could make reports and receive adequate care.
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Of the over 11 million residents in the city of WUHAN, government ensured they could order food online and have it delivered to their door steps and in just seven weeks the spread reduced drastically.
Other countries, including South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan, have copied this strategy, with local modifications, and have recorded similar results according to a report by the guardian.com.
Just as during elections, the government needs to set up a COVID-19 situation room to engage real-time with the people on ways it is working to reduce any inconvenience that may arise during this period. People need to become aware of government steps and actions and we already have the machineries and structures set-up by INEC which can be used.
The federal government needs to play the lead role by developing a national COVID-19 response strategy for states to adopt and adapt taking to account our peculiarities.
Together with the organised private sector, they can work out modalities to ensure food security, supply and adequate pricing lest people begin to hoard essential items or people starve to death.
The needs of the most vulnerable in the society including people living with disability, internally displaced and the elderly must be taken into account and provided for.
The government must see citizens as partners and should reach out to neighborhood associations, civil society etc. to volunteer in coordination of things within their locality.
Nigerians have shown respect and displayed a high sense of patriotism to motherland; it is time the country reciprocates. Social distancing shouldn’t be a death sentence.
- Bassey Bassey, HipCity Innovation Centre, Abuja.
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