Since the outbreak of coronavirus, the Nigerian government, like many other countries, has taken different measures to stem the spread of the pandemic which is also known as COVID-19. These measures include total lockdown of some states, ban on social gatherings, a temporal embargo on religious activities and social distancing.
In a recent chat with talented musician Mc McDonald Onwusuruaka, popularly called by his moniker, MceeDon, shared his views about the efficiency of these measures and what he feels the federal government should have done for the citizens to ease the tension that came with COVID-19.
“COVID-19 pandemic shocked the world because, initially, it was not taken seriously when China announced its outbreak and advised the world to prepare for it. Nigeria was one of the countries in the world that handled the outbreak quite well, but the government, especially the governors, could have done better for the masses.
“The level of incompetence among the Nigerian governors was widely exposed and it became obvious that some of the governors were not experienced in approaching core issues with all seriousness. It was disheartening to discover that despite having qualified medical practitioners in Nigeria, there were only a few (I should say no) standard hospitals to tackle COVID-19.
“The restrictions on movements, ban on religious and social activities, the partial and total lockdown of some states, social distancing, and other measures put in place to curb the spread of Coronavirus, the government deserve to be applauded for taking such strong measures that were effective.
“However, it surprised me that all the governors could not cater for at least 80% of their people. I read comments on social media and it shocked me when I saw claims that the federal government gave out expired rice that some governors rejected – this is a sign of unseriousness in Nigeria’s governance. To me, the Nigerian government failed the people in palliative distribution and providing for them while they couldn’t go to work, run their businesses and make money.
“I’ll not discredit the likes of Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, David Umahi of Ebonyi, Nyesom Wike of Rivers and Ben Ayade of Cross River for standing out to protect their states, they did better than other governors in Nigeria,” MceeDon said.
When asked about how he’d rate the approach of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, MceeDon said they were “fantastic”.
“NCDC and PTF were outstanding, they were swift and to some extent proactive. I followed NCDC’s update and how they made sure they passed information about COVID-19 to everyone at all levels, including those at the grassroots. The PTF too did very well but I believe if Nigeria had accurate data and correct population statistics of the people, they would have done better. I’ll say they were fantastic.”
As of Thursday night, August 7, the NCDC announced 354 fresh cases of COVID-19. The total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria increased to 45,244.
By Adenike Fagbemi
