Unlike most national leaders, President Muhammadu Buhari has largely been in the background in the daily management of the Nigerian Coronavirus pandemic.
However, the Presidential Task Force, PTF and the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, have performed creditably thus far, earning the plaudits of Nigerians and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres.
They have gained the confidence of many public-spirited Nigerians, especially the private sector Coalition Against COVID-19, CA-COVID, floated by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in alliance with the Bankers’ Committee.
President Buhari’s second national broadcast on Monday, April 13, 2020 which came two weeks after his first on Sunday, March 29, 2020, was an excellent capture of the journey so far since he invoked the Quarantine Law to order total lockdowns of Coronavirus hotspots: Lagos, Ogun and the FCT.
It reflected our mixed fortunes since we embarked on this effort. The PTF, our frontline health workforce and the state governments have ramped-up capacity, with 7,000 healthcare workers trained. The President reported that NCDC is now in a position to conduct 1,500 tests daily. It has also deployed personnel to 19 states of the Federation and been able to trace 92 per cent identified contacts for testing.
However, though our infection and fatality rates are still relatively low compared to those of developed countries, they are rapidly increasing. Worse still, infection has crept into our communities, a potentially-catastrophic development.
We agree with the President who emphasised thus: “Our objective was, and still remains, to contain the spread of the Coronavirus and to provide space, time and resources for an aggressive and collective action”.
The only way to arrest an explosion of infections, especially within our inner cities and the rural communities where majority of the ordinary people live and facilities and personnel are scarcer, is to comply with the two-week extension of lockdowns in the target states and all over the country.
While we have made commendable progress in the medical aspects to contain the spread of the virus, we have fallen deeply below expectation in providing the necessary palliatives to cushion the biting effects of keeping the people at home.
We agree with the idea to channel Federal aid through the state governments. The administration of the palliative measures by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs has left so much to be desired. It has not inspired confidence.
We also commend the mobilisation of the security agencies to enforce the stay-home order and especially tackling the growing acts of criminality by hoodlums.
We call on the Federal and state governments to take special care to protect our food supply lines, farmers and palliative administration officials from armed criminals to prevent mass starvation.
All Nigerians must persevere and maintain the rules. We shall overcome.
