Alhaji Sule Yesufu, Daudu of Aibotse Village on "Our Guest"

COVID-19:  "Strengthening Our Health Sector is a Key Lesson for Government at all Levels" _Alhaji Sule Yesufu, Daudu of Aibotse Village

Alhaji Sule Yesufu

By: Jeremiah Enaholo Kadiri

jeremiahkadiri@gmail.com

 

WHAT SHOULD THE PEOPLE OF AUCHI SACRED KINGDOM KNOW ABOUT CORONA VIRUS?

“Well, with my little knowledge of chemistry, the most dangerous disease causing agent on earth at present is a virus. In the 18th century we were talking of bacterial. After that and now we are dealing more with viral infections. Two things make viral diseases dangerous. They mutate fast. While trying to curtail one, it mutates again and this makes it difficult to tackle plus they hardly have a cure.

Every virus has a lifespan. So what happens now is to prevent the spread by isolation and allow it run out its lifespan.

Again, various insinuations abound that this is a man-made virus but these are basically rumors. However, the effect it is having in the world is devastating and frightening. It is not something anyone should joke with. One, there’s no cure, two, when you contract it, almost everybody close to you is exposed to it. If you weren’t maintaining social distancing with me now, you would have been at risk too, if I had it. It is highly contagious. Everyone has to take precaution because corona virus is no respecter of anybody. The biggest men in Nigeria are running helter-skelter for protection _talk less of those of us who are common on the ground. We should all be careful because information available to me shows that elsewhere, even in developed countries, big people, entertainers, boxers, sports people have been lost to this virus.

I think God has been helping us in this country that’s why we’ve not recorded a high rate of infection but we also cannot afford to be complacent. We must follow all the protocols. It is a dangerous situation I must say. It may look simple but very dangerous unlike most viral diseases.”

WHAT ROLE IS THE PALACE PLAYING IN VIEW OF CURTAILING THE PANDEMIC?

“To the best of my knowledge, we’ve held two meetings with the Otaru. We had to observe the preventive precautionary social distancing technique and wearing of face masks during these meetings. It’s a sad situation.

Basically, what we did in the palace was to brainstorm around  reinforcing the decision  Government has taken on curtailing the pandemic. You know all traditional rulers were invited to the Government House in Benin for briefing some time ago. The Otaru of Auchi attended that meeting and so he convened us to intimate us on Government’s plans and how communities can assist. From this we promptly got into action to implement the orders of the government. In fact, we were the first to implement the orders even though there were some bits of resistance at the beginning. With some sort of orientation, the people realized that what we were doing had the backing of the government and that it was in the best interest of the masses to obey the lockdown, social distancing and other precautionary measures in view of curtailing the spread of the pandemic.

As for taking care of the people, I think we are a bit relaxed and had ordered the vigilante not to harass food sellers. Essential items/services providers are to open for business while all other non-essential businesses are shut. We are trying to decongest our markets but those who have shops for food stuffs and pharmaceuticals are allowed to operate.

In all, we are operating on the decision of the state Government because decisions made at state level have to be replicated in all communities depending on the nature of challenges being experienced. Markets are closed, essential trading continues while non-essential trading stops as only foodstuffs and chemists are exempted.

The vigilante have been mandated to enforce this decision across the length and breadth of our Town. I heard they had some skirmishes with traders at the Igbo-shade axis of town but that too has been resolved. That’s what we are doing for now. Anything the government says, we’ll adapt it to suit the overall good of our community.“

ANY PLANS FOR PALLIATIVES FROM THE WELL-TO-DO SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF AUCHI TO THE INDIGENTS?

“It wasn’t part of our meeting with the Otaru. After the last meeting we had with Him, I heard that the Rector of Auchi Polytechnic has stepped forward to help the vigilante in their operations. Sanitizers and other essential materials were provided. The former Council Chairman, Hon. Yakson called me to get the number of villages in Auchi and I told him they are 25. I am sure he is planning something. Those are the two of our sons I know that are already rising up. There could be others but those are the two I know yet.”

WHY IS IT SO EASY FOR PRICES TO SKYROCKET AT TIMES SUCH AS THIS?

“The reason for inflation is simple. It is because Government does not play its role. This is a state of emergency. It is a war situation. In civilized countries, in a state of emergency Government takes charge of all aspects of life. History has taught us that during the world war, companies that were producing cars were converted to producing clothes and military items by decree. Then all companies producing essential items are controlled as government takes over businesses to run properly. The problem we have is government’s failure to step up its responsibility. You and I are still on our own.

If Government stepped up to say, ‘ok, if you want rice, this is the place that is controlled by Edo state Government, go there and take your weekly ration for free.’ Then again, at times like these when there is a lockdown and people cannot travel, Government should make provision to send these essential items down to the masses’ doorsteps. This is being done in civilized countries. Government inability to step up and take responsibility is our problem.

Government is supposed to manage everything about the lives of the citizens by taking over production but the situation here is that government is relaxed, you and I are managing on our own. That’s why we are where we are. We don’t know how sellers procure their items, the risk involved and so, we can’t control the price.

I pray that God saves us because I can tell you that we cannot survive like this for a month. There’ll will be riots. People will breakout by force. Some people buy what they eat daily. I don’t know how many Nigerians can get food that they will eat for one week. An Okada rider eats what he makes today, the same thing tomorrow. So what does he do? Remember that they are in the majority.

This lockdown should be very short otherwise we are going to run into problems that will turn us against ourselves. People may resort to raiding markets and so on just to feed. We pray that doesn’t happen.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT REPORTS MAKING THE ROUNDS THAT NAMES ARE BEING COLLATED FOR PALLIATIVES?

“I believe that, even though the state government denied It later, some politicians had a motive to preempt the government but government denied it. My mother asked me about the development, telling me that she was asked to provide details of her account. I cautioned her not to disclose sensitive details like her BVN to whoever was going to take down her name. She told me that they said if she wasn’t going to provide her BVN she was not going to be credited. That was when I realized it was a scam. Before you know it now, they could ask for your pin and so on. I think it was a scam. Some people are planning all kinds of scam in all these difficulties we are experiencing. If I tell you what I receive everyday, it’s just laughable.”

DO YOU SEE A REVOLUTION OF OUR HEALTH SECTOR IF WE ARE ABLE TO SCALE THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC?

“If Nigeria was a learning country, that would have been a priority. But you will see that by the time we get out of this, whether by God’s intervention or by some stroke of luck, it’s going to be business as usual. Even as an individual, when you go through a difficult time, you learn. Whatever happens to you is for a reason and you must learn lessons from it.

If I was the president, as soon as this passes, I will ensure that there must be a state of the art hospital in all geopolitical zones. I will compel all State Governors to replicate same in their states down to Local Government Areas. Leave every other thing. Let us fund health. Create a functional health system for our people. We will work for ourselves when we are healthy.

If strengthening our health sector is what we take out of this, fine because it may happen again as seen before. We may not be around when it happens because the last major one was about a hundred years ago. We have to be prepared.

It is a healthy citizen that is productive and the government needs us to be productive to survive. Once the citizens are not productive, ofcourse your GDP goes down and when that happens, the government struggles.”

HOW CAN WE MANAGE OURSELVES AND THE OVERWHELMING DATA SURROUNDING COVID-19?

“In a situation like this, the best way out is to bank on hope and be optimistic. Psych yourself up with the assurance that this too will pass. Anything short of that will make one depressed and depression is illness. I understand that a lot of persons are traumatized to the extent of attempting suicide already but as an individual the best thing to do for yourself now is to be positive that this will soon be over. Government cannot do that for you. It an individual thing.

Now on the aspect of information management, the State Government should have had a Situation Room where authentic information is sent out by the hour. When Benin is churning it out from the center, the Local Governments will be taking from there and giving to us. That can help to manage information because about 80% of information on the social media are lies. You can go there and put all kinds of things and people will circulate same. So, you can’t rely on social media even though it is entertaining.

That’s another failure on the part of government. You leave your citizens on their own and so they form all kinds of opinions. I saw on Facebook how soldiers went to a market and destroyed someone’s goods. That wasn’t the mission. There’s no need adding to the temperament of civilians beyond what it is already.

You saw your president. He came and read a script that was written for him and went back to sleep. This is a leader who would have encouraged all the Governors down to local Government Chairmen to be seen visibly fighting this scourge and encourage us. That’s what leadership is about. When you and I are arguing about facts, I should be able to say, ‘no, this is what the Local Government Chairman said yesterday and so your opinion cannot be true.’ But who knows where the chairman is now?

Imagine how the Chadian president led the assault to Boko-haram and the significant progress they achieved. The success was fantastic. If the number one man is leading the battle which soldier will remain behind? The problem is leadership. The people are left alone and that is why some use their ingenuity to even do bad and get away with it.”

WHAT GOOD IS THERE IN GOVERNMENT’S STAY-AT-HOME DIRECTIVE?

“Whatever happens to a man, no matter how bad, has some good aspects. There are some children who don’t really know their fathers. Maybe as a result of his lifestyle or what he does but this lockdown has made the father to stay at home and so the children will be seeing who their father is, the wife will be relating with him and so on. It may not really be the wish of the man not to be seen at home but you see, in life, people get lucky. It depends on who you marry. Some women can be terrible to be with.

Anyways, we can begin to learn new ways to begin to tolerate, manage and to bond as families which is a good thing not only for the family but also for the society at large. It is children that are not bonded at the family level that are easily influenced by social vices because of no parental control and the society pays the price. You know what is happening with the Almajiris in the North.

Maybe this is one good thing out of this lockdown. If parents can now bond with their children and fathers are now seen at home to now know what problems the women are facing, that becomes a good aspect of the crisis we are all in. that’s how I see it. Family bonding is one good thing that will come out of this Corona Virus Pandemic.”

A PIECE OF ADVICE:

“Well, Hope!

Overall we must be hopeful. I tell the people of Auchi Sacred Kingdom to be hopeful. ‘Onorha nodeh’ (this will pass) and we will be here. That’s my position, that’s what I told His Highness and that’s his position. It’s not our portion. We’ve added Corona Virus to the things we now know and it will pass like all others. People will read it in history the way we read the ones of old.

There have been plagues that wiped out millions even when medical science was not even  advanced as we now have. It will be over and life will return to normal.

Let’s keep hope Alive.”

 

Please Note

1.   Covid-19 IS REAL!

2.   That it is in your best interest to stay at home in order to be safe from contaminating this deadly viral disease.

3.   That it is important to observe safety/precautionary measures such as regular washing of hands, usage of hand sanitizers, cleaning of all surfaces regularly, observe social distancing, keeping the throat moist at all times with warm water, eating healthy/organic/homemade food and sleeping well.

·        Dial 112 in case of any emergency or if you experience symptoms of Covid-19.

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