HYSTERIA AND CACAPHONIES ABOUT ABBA KYARI

HYSTERIA AND CACAPHONIES ABOUT ABBA KYARI.

As the bell tolled for the controversial COS to President Buhari, what follows has been mass hysteria by elites, while the masses have been engaging themselves in cacaphony of commentaries on what epitaph fit best in describing the late man of power.

It is quite unfortunate that Nigerian never speaks uniformly on any issue, and the attendant commentaries that followed Abba Kyari's death is drumming that fact home in very uncertain terms. It not surprising that this is happening, giving that, he was a man highly regarded by his admires and very hated by those who considered him a power monger and a tribalist.

I do not have any other verifiable facts to judge him except by assessing the impacts of the policies he helped to craft while he held sway in Aso Rock and administered with valve and vigour. Like the popular saying which goes thus: " the taste of the pudding is in the eating ".

The  barometer with which we can judge Mallam Kyari time in government, is how those policies he help to fashion and implemented  affects the masses of Nigeria. If we can agreed on that, Abba Kyari seemed to have failed as did others before him. What gave credence to this surmation is the fact that, the masses seemed uninterested in his wellbeing when he announced that he had contracted Covid 19; and care less about him while he was been cared for in the private hospital where he finally gave the ghost. 

What the aloofness about the Nigerian masses said about him and are saying about remaining elites us that, they will rather wished they all suffer same faith as Abba Kyari. 

When you compare the non- charlant attitudes of Nigerians to Abba Kyari,  with the mournful dispositions of British citizens to Prime Minister Johnson's travail with Covid-19, the only thing to draw from that, is that, if you govern for the good of the people, they will have your back in your time of travail. The people of UK prayed ceaselessly until Boris returned home safe and sand. This is remarkable giving that most people that were praying for him neither identify with his politics, nor were they impressed with chaotic manners in governing the country.

But that as it may, the people trust that he has the best interest of the nation in his heart and that he seeks to help everyone realise their potential as allowed under the law. It is therefore,  unfortunate that, the elites are trying desperately to rebrand Abba Kyari in death, as if Nigerians are forgetful or bunch of ingrates. They have been attempting to tells how unfortunate we have been not to have met Abba in person or moved in the midst of his friends and political surrogates. How unfortunate is that?

It is not Abba Kyari that needs to be rebranded. White washing a sepulchre does not change the facts that it holds within it, anything other than carcass and bad odours. The remaining elites are the ones that needs rebranding. They must change their ways or have Nigerians dance atilogu over their tombs as they would like to do to Kyari if it were possible. 

They can start doing that by clearing the chaos and the corruption that pervade all strata of government. When Nigerians begin to notice these, they will forget about Kyari and begin to forgive the elites. 

According to the wise saying of Terry Pratchell; who opined thus, " No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world dies away "

Let Abba Kyari' s passing usher a new dawn of justice, equity and development for this blessed country.  That should be a befitting epitaph for him, instead of trying to re-write his history that is already etched in people's consciences. 

By Leke Arowosaye.

COVID19: AN OPEN LETTER TO LAGOS MAINLAND RESIDENTS, KEEP SAFE, STAY AT HOME.

*COVID19: AN OPEN LETTER TO LAGOS MAINLAND RESIDENTS, KEEP SAFE, STAY AT HOME.* 

Great Lagos Mainlanders,

Greatest Yaba o, 

AISAN TI KO GBO OGUIN KO NI YAA ILE WA O.COVID 19 IS REAL 

We are all aware that Corona virus is a pandemic disease ravaging the world. We should also be aware that the pandemic corona virus has led to lockdown of all industrialized cities in the world.  The situation in London,  Tokyo and New York where cases of the infected astronomically jumped from less than two thousand to hundred of thousands within a month is worrisome. Total lockdown has been declared in Federal Capital Territory - Abuja, Ogun and Lagos states in our developing country Nigeria.

We should also realise that the lockdown of major cities in our country is to prevent the further spread of the contagious deadly disease. 

We have been warned severally by health professionals on radio and televisions to avoid any gathering of more than 10 - 20 persons, we were been asked to keep a social distancing policy of at least 1 meter in our interactions. This instructions are for own good and own safety to prevent the spread of a virus that is yet to have a vaccine to heal those infected.

We were instructed to sanitised our environment, keep personal hygiene, and watch our hands regularly. We are further advised to avoid rubbing our face, mouth and nose with our hands.

When our community was chosen as a Lagos Isolation Center to carry out test, treatment and rehabilitate those infected by the pandemic,  we never envisaged that we shall be worst hit by the killer pandemic.

Having found ourselves in this precarious situation in which we are said to have 114 COVID19 cases, the highest number of infected persons in the country, it is clear that the prevalence of COVID19 in our community might have been caused by our actions and inactions. Probably by our failure to strictly abide by warnings and instructions that could prevent the spread of the deadly corona virus. 

COMMUNITY SPREAD IS THE MOST DANGEROUS! 

I wish to humbly appeal that henceforth we should stop all forms of social gathering of more than 5 persons. That we should stop patronising paraga, pepper soup and other drinking joints. We should also safe our individual and collective lives by staying at home.

I will also appeal to our Local Government and LCDA leadership to close  down all drinking joints/spots as a matter of urgency. The local government authority should also embark on serious street to street campaign to educate residents on the danger of flouting the lockdown order which has led to the spread of COVID19 in Lagos Mainland.

The Local government should also start or intensify fumigation of our streets, markets, drinking spots and other refreshment centres  religious places and so on.

WE MUST ALL EMBRACE AFRICAN GOOD NEIGBORLINESS AND BE EACH OTHER KEEPERS.  THE RICH SHOULD DONATE TO THE POOR THROUGH APPROPRIATE MEDIUM DURING THIS OUR PERIOD OF NEED FOR COMMUNAL SOLIDARITY

To be forwarned is to be for. armed. STAY SAFE , STAY AT HOME.

Warm greetings to you all, 

Comrade Wale Balogun.

CORONA VIRUS EXPOSES NIGERIA DEFICIT IN BASIC NEEDS AND MEDICAL FACILITIES. By David Adenekan.

To start with, the many years of deficit in basic needs vis a vis medical facilities that the outbreak of a pandamic disease called coronavirus inadvertently brings to the fore is for every leader in the country to change their dispositions toward government and start a new era for a true nation building for the benefit of all citizens. 

The best time for a new trajectory towards nation building may not be better than now that the whole world is under locked down and some of our so called highly respected leaders have been infected by a pandemic disease called coronavirus and the access to urgent medical needs outside the shore is practically impossible.  

Also, it seems to me that there ought to be urgent need for sober reflection over many deficit in our basic needs vis a vis medical facilities in order to reengineer the trajectory of this country for the benefit of all. 

Alas, the era of poor governance, clueless and visionless leadership ought to be over with the bitter experience of this pandemic disease called coronavirus but I honestly doubt if this would ever be the case in moving forward from this deadly disease called coronavirus.

The stay at home policy introduced by the government to mitigate against the deadly spread of Coronavirus has truly exposed the many deficit in the provision of basic needs like food, shelter and healthcare delivery to meet the demands of ever increasing population and some of the challenges of the 21st century.

How can the so called giant of Africa with more than 200 million population cope with many challenges of this digital age without adequate planning and visionary leaders? What will be the effect of a stay at home policy that the exigency of time has imposed on us when many homes in Nigeria still lack the basic needs of life like food and electricity? Will this stay at home policy not going to be counter productive and create another deadly virus called "Hungervirus"?

Yes, the Hon. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sodiya Farouq says "the Federal Government has begun cash transfer to the poorest households in the country and according to her, the initiative is to cushion the economic impact of coronavirus pandemic". 

However, the  fundamental question is, how do you know the poorest households in a country that does not truly base her allocation of resources on population or on a scientific data that reflects the reality on the ground. Lagos state population is more than the population of Kano state and the local government that was created out of Kano state (44 local government council) was more than double that of Lagos state (20 local government council). Invariably, Kano state with less population is receiving far more federal government allocation than Lagos state. 

Realistically, the federal government allocation of resources is not based on head count that remains the universal yardstick for a fairly distribution of wealth. If this is true, what will be the yardstick to determine the poorest households in Nigeria? Is this going to be based on head count or land space? Where is the  institutional framework that will give us the accurate data of the poorest households in Nigeria? Is this not a repeat of "TraderMoni" that was poorly mismanaged under the office of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo ahead of the 2019 general elections? Also, what will be the mechanism to distribute this money to the target group in every nun and corner of the country? 

Frankly speaking, Nigeria do not have the institutional framework vis a vis infrastructural facilities that meet all of the challenges in this digital age. This to me, is one of the fundamental reasons why some of the good policies are only in face value and very difficult to implement. 

Moreover, what will be the rational behind the stay at home policy when we cannot truly control the curve of this pandemic disease called coronavirus to mitigate against the wild spread of the disease?  Two, how many people have been tested in Nigeria to be able to isolate those who have been exposed to the virus from others? Three, how many ventilators do we have in Nigeria to prepare for critical health conditions? Four, do we have enough testing kits? Five, do we have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect all our health care givers who are the front soldiers against this pandemic disease called coronavirus? Six, do we truly have any economic package to meet the basic needs of ordinary citizens who are locked down at home to control the spread of this disease? 

Suffice to say that most of these afeoremention needs are to a very large extent lacking or not available in Nigeria.

Prejudice apart, the outbreak of coronavirus has further exposed the many years of impact of poor governance, mal administration, corruptions, greediness and selfishness of our so called leaders.  

In addition, how will a country that got her independence more than 60 years ago and pride herself as the giant of Africa not hit the ground on day one for a nation building if not that many of the successive leaders at the helm of affairs lack the necessary blue print, consciousness and preparedness for nation building? What is the essence of a leader when things are working in apposite direction? Is the hallmark of a leader not to accept responsibility and do the right things for her people? How come countries like Brazil, Cuba, Dubai, Hong kong, Singapore and Peru that were far behind us at independence had left us behind and most of them have joined the industrial world? 

I think this pandemic disease called coronavirus is another eyes opener that when the chips are down, there may not be any sacred cow or hiding place. Today, we are all locked down and we are faced with the reality of the backwardness that had bedeviled our country since independence. 

Yes, we all are facing the consequences and it is very unfortunate and painful that many innocent citizens will also bear the brunt. 

Furthermore, governors and Chief of staff to the president are down with coronavirus and all the medical facilities in the western world that they often run to for their medical needs are now locked down against them. 

Alas, they are now face with the reality of the deficit in our health care system and it is either they fix it or the country is doomed. 

Also, while many Nigerians may be locked down in their houses with another virus called "hungervirus; and they are wailing and yelling for lack of basic needs like food and electricity,  our so called government officials are not also immune or insulated from a coronavirus pandemic that does not discriminate by any means.

Yes, the invisible hands of this pandemic disease called coronavirus beat all the strong security measures inside Aso Rock and got the chief of staff to the president infected. 

Hmnnmmm, Allahu Akbar!!!! (God is the most great).

Yes, we are all in this together ("orun ma wo, ki se oro enikan") and this time shall pass. Amen.

David Adenekan wrote from Chicago, Illinois. April 1st, 2020.