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Corona-Phobia Heroes – “I can’t stand aside and watch someone die because I want to save my life.”

By
David Gani
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6
Coronavirus is causing pains across the world

Two weekends ago at work seemed a beautiful day with all the characteristics of a weekend, holding Covid-19 constant. We were all in high spirits going about our business until someone expressed concern that a colleague who went to use the restroom had not returned when she should.

She was found on the floor wreathing in pain and vomiting. We carried her to a well-ventilated area and started administering first aid. “’My head is hot.’ ‘I am cold.’ ‘I can’t feel my hands’” were some of the words she mustard strength to utter as she got more and more unconscious. We were restless not knowing what was wrong. 

Our boss had to order the driver to abandon the assignment uptown and return with the vehicle that there was an emergency. As the bus drove into the compound, I had already lifted her from the floor running to its direction. I was expecting to be helped by my colleagues who were in the bus but they all dashed away immediately their feet touched the ground. “Mark (all names in this article are not real names), get in from the other side and help me,” I beckoned to a colleague that had been on the ground. Our boss had a gallon of water put inside the vehicle for us to stabilize her temperature on our way to the hospital. 

Michael drove like he had never driven before. Thank goodness the road was relatively free but the ditches were many. Stretched out with her head on Noah’s thighs and her legs over mine, there were moments of tranquility and spasm. With my right hand holding her legs in place my left hand holding her hands giving the necessary warmth she needed. Stop saying what you feel, just call on the name of Jesus only. You will be fine. Nothing will happen to you. Hold on, we are almost there, I encouraged her. I could hear Shade, her buddy sitting beside the driver chanting the name of Jesus.

As we got to the hospital we were quickly ushered into the emergency room with the doctor and his nurses taking charge. The doctor asked what was wrong and Shade told him how she frequented the restroom after having a breakfast of Milo and bread. Her blood sample was taken and she was treated after sedation. 

About two hours later she woke up and the doctor came and checked on her saying she had taken poison. “But I warned you guys sometime ago that the N50 Sachet Milo is poisoned,” Michael exclaimed. He then showed us a video on YouTube where a Fulani man, apprehended though, demonstrated how he had been poisoning the beverage and sending it to the East. Despite this revelation, we cannot establish without a proper investigation the source of the poison due to the fact that this environment is rife with food poisoning as a result of the poor sanitary conditions. I have suffered mild food poisoning eating out on three occasions. 

As I returned to the office, it was one commendation after another: You are a hero. You should be awarded the employee of the year. God bless you. You surprised me, you wife will enjoy you (funny one). Our boss also expressed his appreciation. I did not see the reason for all these praises until when someone called me and asked, “Are you not afraid for your life; don’t you know there is Corona?”I replied to him immediately, “I can’t stand aside and watch someone die because I want to save my life.” 

It now dawned on me the motivation for their behavior from the onset. It’s Corona-phobia! They believed she was infected with Covid-19. This explains why they all ran for cover as I approached the vehicle. Even one of them that knew how to get to the hospital refused to come along, he stood afar to give us the direction. More shocking, on our way home we pulled into the hospital to check on her and only a few of us including our boss went in, the rest stayed put. Throughout the journey home, I marveled at their behavior. 

Finally, my purpose for sharing my experience is not to name and shame anyone or to single myself out for glory. I was only one of the actors. Everyone that acted deserves commendation. I just want to let my readers know that true love is giving even our lives for others to live. Remember the story of the Good Samaritan. No doubt Covid-19 is a devastating pandemic but I fear the widespread hysteria will make many victims through loss of love. It was Martin Luther King Jr. that said no one deserves to live if he can’t die for something. We are humans and our survival is tied to our humanity.

Together we shall overcome through love!

My Book “Africa’s Sankofa Innovation” Now On Audio, FREE With Mini-MBA Registration

By
Ndubuisi Ekekwe
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0
Free for all Mini-MBA edition 2 participants

Africa’s Sankofa Innovation, my book, which two U.S. universities have put as a recommended textbook for their students, is now on Audio.  If you register for the second edition of Tekedia Mini-MBA by April 30, you will get the book with the audio at no extra cost on Tekedia. Register here.

https://www.tekedia.com/mini-mba-2/

 

All Hail AfDB – The $10 Billion Message

By
Ndubuisi Ekekwe
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0
AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina
Akinwumi Adesina

All hail the big bank:  African Development Bank plots $10 billion fund to governments and the private sector on Covid-19. Of this, $1.35 billion will be devoted to private sector operations.

AfDB Press Release

The African Development Bank Group  on Wednesday announced the creation of the COVID-19 Response Facility to assist regional member countries in fighting the pandemic.

The Facility is the latest measure taken by the Bank to respond to the pandemic and will be the institution’s primary channel for its efforts to address the crisis. It provides up to $10 billion to governments and the private sector.

Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, said the package took into account the fiscal challenges that many African countries are facing.

“Africa is facing enormous fiscal challenges to respond to the coronavirus pandemic effectively. The African Development Bank Group is deploying its full weight of emergency response support to assist Africa at this critical time. We must protect lives. This Facility will help African countries to fast-track their efforts to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19,” Adesina said, commending the Board of Directors for its unwavering support.

The Facility entails $5.5 billion for sovereign operations in African Development Bank countries, and $3.1 billion for sovereign and regional operations for countries under the African Development Fund, the Bank Group’s concessional arm that caters to fragile countries. An additional $1.35 billion will be devoted to private sector operations.

Commenting on the Facility, Acting Senior Vice-President Swazi Tshabalala said: “The setting up of the Facility required a collective effort and courage by all our staff, Board of Directors and our shareholders.”

Two weeks ago, the Bank launched a record-breaking $3 billion Fight COVID-19 Social Bond, the world’s largest US dollar-denominated social bond ever on the international capital market. Last week, the Board of Directors also approved a $2 million grant for the World Health Organization for its efforts on the continent.

“These are extraordinary times, and we must take bold and decisive actions to save and protect millions of lives in Africa. We are in a race to save lives. No country will be left behind,” Adesina said.

The Coming World War 3.0

By
Hilary Unachukwu
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0

The virus that slowed the war has taken lives, destroyed markets, smashed several ideologies and mindsets. The global pandemic has shaken and called into question so many relationships and structures and we are getting into a situation that begs the questions what happens when this crisis recedes.  I doubt things will get calmer, much less go back to normal.

Since the crisis hit America, much of the mainstream media has heaped blame and accusation on the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. But, this finger pointing would not be enough to dissuade a small but, I suspect, growing faction of people who have developed much more antipathy towards China. The virus was called the Wuhan virus by much of the mainstream media until suddenly in March 2020; it was regarded as a racist slur. This is curious considering that terms such as Zika or Ebola virus were not considered racist. Even though they were named because of the region of origin. The WHO has stated the appropriate appellation should be COVID-19. This annotation leads to the question “why 19 and not 20?” We will have on the WHO and appropriateness later. Its suffix indicates the outbreak was in 2019. But who knew about it in 2019 and why was this not well known?

In 2019, two Chinese doctors found patients had SARS-like symptoms and were not responding to the regular treatment leading to a very quick and high rate of fatalities. The two doctors’ names were Dr. Ai Fen and Dr. Li Wenliang. Both doctors were both suppressed and harassed by the Chinese authorities but their problems only got worse. Dr. Li Wenliang is now dead and Dr. Ai Fen is now missing. Whereabouts unknown and Chinese officials stating they have never heard of here. If you think this troubling, it only gets worse. Most countries, including the US, were not informed on this development. I am not sure why countries did not take action regardless. Intelligence agencies should have had information warning of the danger of the virus. In December, Twitter had videos showing the deaths caused by the virus and the precautions taken against by the Chinese government.  So, they could not have been a total surprise. However, people were still unsure or taken unawares.

In January, several personalities called attention to the alarming implications and effects of the virus. People such as Steve Bannon, Mike Cernovich, and Scott Adams called for a moratorium of flights and travel. Cernovich even went as far as saying that preparations should be made for massive disruptions of global supply chains of food, medicine and other essential needs. Many mainstream media pundits dismissed them as right-wing extremists spreading alarmist conspiracy theories but how often were they wrong? They have been right on trade, politics, media and hardly have been wrong on issues. But, strangely enough even Trump did not heed their warnings early. So, on January 29th, Trump convened a taskforce on the threat and by the end of January had placed restrictions on travel to ‘China and other countries.  The rest is history.

What we had in March included accusations by Chinese officials that the US military were behind the spread of the virus. This was strange and some mainstream outlets did not question this accusation. Trump, in his Trumpian fashion, hit back and called the virus “ The Chinese Virus.” Things have not gotten better as many cities in the United States have seen high rates from the virus and major supply shortages. The US has taken a massive hit and unemployment rates have hit levels never seen before. 

But what happens next comes with anticipation and trepidation. The Chinese government has withheld information and resources for itself in a global crisis. As much as many big players and Chinese representatives are coming out to support people there is a growing suspicion of the Chinese and their involvement with the spread of the disease. The WHO praises China but many people think that considering the antecedents this praise is unwarranted. Also, the WHO has given assurance that proved untrue since the start of the crisis. It even stated that face masks were not needed for regular people and only healthcare workers were only in need of them. This advice has been proved inaccurate and was even counter common sense from the start. Combining all these actions leads me to believe that would be retaliation in the near future.

I expect a renewed escalation of the trade war and probably sanctions against China not just from the US, but also from other countries such as Italy. Many US companies would have to reconsider their relationship with China and most likely bring the production back to the US or consider countries such as India and Vietnam for deep partnership. The tensions among nations would expectedly rise, considering that death toll that results could have been reduced if not avoided. 

Over decades there has been rising concerns about China’s influence and acts of espionage against the United States. Even many media companies and personalities either kowtow to China’s demands or avoid mentioning them. These incidents occur not just in news reporting but other media such as sports. The increase of the infiltration into academia and the spying facilitated by American academics has seen arrests in high-profile institutions such as Harvard. More politicians and media personalities open accuse corporations of supporting or at the very least being very accommodating to Chinese interests. This may eventually lead to a cold war that would see the relationship between the US and China strained to a heightened degree.

  The global pandemic has hurt countries such as Iran and Yemen who are still undergoing sanctions despite the pandemic. We are seeing other countries getting more hostile and this trend would likely reach a boiling point. China may have to find a way for some countries to get redress against it. Many countries see China as a threat and soon there may be more antagonistic attitudes towards the nation. China holds a lot of US debt but even that is not immune from “haircuts” or non-payment. Consider this a form of reparation that is common with the ending of wars. These and other things are just concerns of mine and being a pedestrian, I am sure there are many things I have misunderstood in the global village. However, even in this global village one can easily become very lonely.

COVID-19 Is Forcing Some Positive Changes And Reforms In Nigeria

By
Samuel Nwite
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0
GMD Kyari mele nnpc

COVID-19 pandemic continues to force many changes in governments around the world. Social and economic changes altering the status quo have remarkably been part of everyday doings of governance across governments. Some of these changes are long overdue, others are bitter pills needed to quell the surge of the pandemic.

In Nigeria, the Nigerian National Petroleum Commission (NNPC) has announced an end to the fuel subsidy regime, a fight that has lasted for years without end. Fuel subsidy gulped millions of dollars in public funds yearly; creating infrastructure decay as such funds would have been directed toward much needed facilities.

While it is believed to be a way to alleviate economic hardship in Nigeria, as many businesses and households depend daily on fuel to power electricity, it is also believed to be a cartel, a major source of illicit funds among politicians and petroleum marketers in the country.

In 2019 alone, Nigerian government spent N780 billion on oil subsidy, an enormous sum sizable enough to revamp the health sector or other infrastructural projects lying in decay.

Nevertheless, calls by concerned individuals and organizations to remove the subsidy had sounded on deaf ears. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), repeatedly urged the Nigerian government to yield to the clamor to remove fuel subsidy totally, but it was as good as the rest.

So it came as a surprise when the NNPC announced on monday that fuel subsidy is no longer a part of government’s business from now going forward. Though in response to the plummeting oil prices, the government has reduced petrol pump price to N125, and subsequently, N123, the free fall of oil price brought the inevitable to bear. The impact of Coronavirus brought oil prices down below $20, basically removing the subsidy without further debate.

Not long after, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the temporary employment of 774,000 people who will engage in sweeping of streets, markets and clearing of gutters for a period of three months. This is part of the Special Work Programme (SWP), announced by the federal government back in February, but has been elaborated to accommodate more states and workers in the country.

According to the announcement made by the federal government on Tuesday, the SWP will require no certificate or skills from applicants.

“The SWP beneficiaries have been engaged to carry out clearing, cleaning of streets, markets, schools, drains etc. and also maintenance of rural feeder roads. No skills or formal education are required for the SWP programme,” government’s statement said

The pilot states according to the announcement are: Edo, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Adamawa, Kwara, Katsina and Jigawa. And the scheme is targeted at unemployed Nigerians, and will kick off during the dry season in rural areas.

But the recent update by the special adviser to the president on media, Tolu Ogunlesi disclosed that the scheme has been extended to every state in Nigeria.

“President Buhari has now approved that this programme be extended to all 36 states and the FCT from October to December 2020. It will result in the employment of 774,000 Nigerians, (1,000 per a LGA) Funding will come from the new COVID-19 Crisis Intervention Fund,” the statement said.

Though the job is billed to last for three months, it will offer many people the chance they never had for long. Moreover, the sudden expansion of the programme to 36 states of the federation is as a result of donations in support of COVID-19 intervention programme.

There is also a move by the government to address the health sector challenges by upgrading hospitals to meet current health crisis demands.

As the impact of coronavirus rattles the government to wake from its leniency, forcing changes advocated for long to take effect, many Nigerians are expressing optimism that the wind of change will blow toward another critical area – restructuring.

The need to practice true federalism has been on the table of debate for some time now. In 2014, former president Goodluck Jonathan heeded the call for a national conference called Confab. The objective was to reach a consensus on how to move the nation forward from ideas shared by representatives of every region in the country.

In the end, the most talked about ‘way forward’ is regionalism or true federalism. Jonathan lost his reelection bid, and his chance to implement the reports of the Confab.

Ever since then, there have been talks to restructure Nigeria and allow each state to develop with its resources while paying taxes to the federal government.

The possibility of restructuring has appeared impossible until now, but it seems, with the oil revenue in jeopardy, many believed that a broke federal government would have no choice than to let each state generate its own revenue.

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