FAILURE to prepare is the bane of every society, and we discovered that most if not all the huge nations especially with large heterogenous population were never ready despite their arrogance. The words out there even in all the international media is that Africa and other third world have crippled their own health institutions and policy, and the leaders in charge of our patrimony would rather go overseas for the slightest of human infirmity. This was the case until the leveller called Covid19.
Every nation, including China started with a single case of the virus. There are indeed various propositions on how the index case came about. Whether it was Pangolin or a laboratory misadventure that brought it about, it is here already. The matter of it heading to Africa is not about my discourse here, it came by the mistake or reckless omission of some of our leaders.
However what bothers an objective observer most is the effect on our people or as government called it ‘poorest of the poor’. The emergence of Covid19 has made it clear that whether it is the heights of Washington or in the low of Godogum in Plateau State Nigeria that the health systems are mostly in terrible shape. It became even more worrisome that the health system in the heights of North America is based on racism, where the blacks and the Hispanics are dying more than the other more prominent groups.
The nations of the world are showing the amount and test that this pandemic has brought to the world. The pains are even more felt in the hearts of the poorest of the poor who are the largest voting population. The people they voted for are living large and very few of these political juggernauts are bringing forth little. The little they bring has a big stamp and their face on it. The issue remains that they are bringing something forth. It may not amount to much because the nations were grossly raped by the same people. I was even shown a video of some N100 bread with the stamp of the face of a popular politician, and that to him is a palliative. I personally experienced the worst part around the estate I reside. Isolo LCDA banner was attached to two expensive vehicles and out of a bag from the SUVs came food in a small disposable plate to be handed out as palliative to the people of the LCDA-I was flabbergasted.
Assuming the people elected are not doing enough, but it is no gainsaying that a few of them have done their bits, and can do more, whilst this pandemic lasts.
The question is to ask every average Nigerian whatever his placement in life, have you done your best to secure yourself and show love to people around you.
There are persons earning salaries, and some form of earnings, or having these savings. This is not asking or requesting you to gravely bankrupt yourself to the point of making yourself destitute, rather look for that patriotic Nigerian in you and hand over to the next neighbour a loaf of bread. This loaf of bread can be rice, cooked or otherwise, beans and whatever good food you have to share.
Most of the good books; The Holy Bible, Quran and other religious books points to good neighbourliness. The atheist even has a religion, and that is self-belief. Encompassed in self belief is the will to do good and even if it is for the camera, please share a bread.
Fair to say that government at least in Nigeria will never reach every less privileged, employers can therefore help by helping the employees in a special way. May we therefore start hashtag INDEXGIVING