This is not just an outbreak but one with a lesson. Initially, it appeared to us as a joke, we are accustomed to playing exorbitantly in my country, we frolicked about everything and even doubted the force at which this pandemic could spread, we really didn’t care about closing the borders and ensuring certain restrictions, especially in placing travel bans, we didn’t care to chase up. Well, it was tagged a Chinese virus, so we all kept cool until we heard of the Foreigner who came to Nigeria, then it dawned on us as we started counting numbers, it wasn’t really enough for our leaders to start acting until it escalated, now, the tension in the country is enough to take lives, this is because our leaders show inefficiency and delay when it comes to crucial matters.
Coronavirus is not just an outbreak
As a routine, we gave silly excuses and hid our ignorance in certain comments, we felt our gene is stronger than the virus, people said things, like, ‘dirty no dey kill Afrikan man’ na this one go kill us? ‘but Ebola bin survive here?’ HIV was quarantined, our immune system is very strong, just go native, it’s for the rich, they said so much, too numerous to be mentioned.
While we gave excuses, the pandemic was officiously looking for a body to deliver the parcel into our country, and things got really bad, so dreadful that it affected our leaders, maybe because they are mostly elderly people. It affected them that they couldn’t even stow away, as usual, there was no room for leaders who contracted this virus in foreign countries because those countries suffered the most, money couldn’t solve the problem this time, so our system became an option, the health sector wasn’t a mess anymore for our leaders, they have to manage the existent structures, certainly they used the best of facilities and health centers, our ‘inexperienced doctors’ became useful.
Take a chill, we are not thinking alike, I am not wishing them death, I got you there. Most citizens are excited that this virus reduced our leaders to our level and they are overwhelmed because we are in this together, it became a pandemic that bridged the gap between the rich and the poor, some teased capitalism and much-vindicated socialism. I understand their plights, pain, and frustrations, what do you expect from citizens who over the years have experienced what it means to live in a failed system.
When I think about everything happening in the world and how this pandemic shut down the significant part of the world, how it seems that nothing really matters in the world presently but to find an eternal solution to end this misery, all that kept echoing in my mind is the idea of “self isolation”. In my estimation, self isolating connotes the unusual, it is different from what the world have defined, it became something out of the ordinary, social distancing became a period to rethink, it isn’t necessarily a phase to avoid contacts not to say you shouldn’t stay safe, it isn’t really a period to just be careful, it became a time for our leaders to think towards correcting their ills, reforming the system and making the Society better, so this moment of isolation made everything visible to our leaders.
Very humorous how it took a virus to make our leaders realize the kind of health sector we have in our country and how citizens die because of how insensitive they were to the pains and worried people, it took a virus to make our leaders realize that the so-called federal colleges they chose to use as isolation centers and emergency care units are not even conducive enough for such matters, it took this deadly pandemic to make our leaders realize that we are still not operating a cashless policy, it took the death of many and the exposure of citizens to this ailment for our leaders to realize that a lot of policies are not working anymore and requires change, some sectors are inactive or dead and needs to be rejuvenated, we don’t even have enough kits to tackle this epidemic. What a shame!
Have you not wondered how the world could be so free from every other struggle and think towards tackling a particular problem? Little is talked about racism, gender, sports, discrimination, power, terrorism, and the other things that distracted us and made us exhibit hate and disgust. But the whole world faced the outbreak! We could actually fight a course together. I have witnessed my country go through political instability. Seen my country’s economy go into recession, as nations engage in war. Witnessed power tussle, Unfortunate incidents happen, people, die of accidents, insurgency, and other terrible things but none is to be compared to this virus. It shook the entire world and kept it at a standstill. It made us helpless and fearful, above every other thing, it pushed us into believing that the world can actually be better when we act right.
As we isolate and practice social distancing we shouldn’t waste more time as we have wasted already in the past we should think towards making our country better and the world at large a better place, the world should be conducive for everyone to live in. Just working is not enough we should work well. The out break should serve as a wake up call to Nigeria and to other nations.
We are all stuck in this, the rich, poor, broke, elite, ignorant, and all what-not, I do hope it’s not too late when we get this fixed. Do well to think of ways to make our society better, do not go back to the things that made us all look terrible in this period of great trial and struggle. This is a display that the world can be better, actually. Coronavirus is not just an outbreak, Covid19 only dished out the errors of bad leadership and gave us to eat from, while we wail and gnash our teeth over the disaster we have caused for ourselves. I do hope that we make proper and enjoyable meals for ourselves after eating from this pandemic.
This is an outbreak with a lesson, in case anyone hasn’t yet learned.
The lessons learnt would bring peace and healing to humanity and the world at large.
