• Friday, March 29, 2024
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BusinessDay

Coronavirus and personal responsibility

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As we continue to battle Coronavirus collectively as a nation, I have had cause to explain to a number of people that government and organisations will continue to do their bit but the ultimate responsibility for their safety is theirs. I have spoken with several seemingly educated people and others who seem to be in denial and are asking everyone else other than themselves to take responsibility for their safety. The comments range from government should ensure people keep safe distances in public places and place a safe distance officer in place, to government should give all Nigerians enough food to keep us all at home for three months. I am at my wits end on this matter and if anyone can help me untangle this position, please send me a mail. If you go to a public place and another person refuses to keep their social distance, then keep shifting backwards and speak up when someone tries to get in your face. We come from a traditional communal society where we hug and pump hands in a handshake. In fact, in my Igala community we hug so much, it is unprecedented. We are very similar to Italians; we hug when we see and are very warm with each other placing family above all things. See what happened in Italy.

This is not the time to love up on your brother or sister who lives a quarter of a mile off. We can all speak on the phone. You have no idea where they have been and what they have touched. If you are staying home, you have no idea where your brother has been or if he has been careless. Stay away from each other. You do not love him any less. Stay in your house and do not encourage people to visit you. Passing the buck for personal safety is pretty irresponsible. Going to places that can place you at high risk places all your family members at risk. If you are a father, take your young kids for a walk all wearing face masks on a lonely street, if you needed them to get some sunshine or fresh air and take that walk near your house. I watch in trepidation young families arrive all together at a pharmacy. Why do you need all your kids, nine, four and two running round a pharmacy where you cannot properly keep them on a leash? Here is what they touch. The pharmacy door handle, the stair case railing, packets of stuff already touched and they are not wearing gloves. What are you doing?

Last week, I turned up at one of Abuja’s most patronised Pharmacists and I was shocked to find that only half of their staff were wearing masks. The other half walked into you on the aisle like broken cars until you dodged them as you made your way through. Clearly untrained and unhinged, they simply carry on like business as usual. As if that was not enough, I found that the guy at the entrance who takes customers temperatures with a temperature device was not wearing a mask. He approaches you with the device totally unfazed and when he was asked why he was not wearing a mask proceeded to be rude and idiotic by choosing not to answer. In the middle of all of this, at least six people walked in without getting a temperature check placing more people at risk.

This drama continued for all of five minutes and customers who recognised me went into a full Nigerian mode by telling me “Ah, Aunty it’s okay…” rather than join me to form a critical mass and deploy citizen action. In the meantime, my spouse went to get the manager. This manager…hmmm did not seem to know what he was doing. In the end, I had to report to the FCT task force on Covid 19 to get them to behave. Once the task force had gone the Pharmacy returned to its anti-covid 19 attitude. It’s all about the money I will think, the nation is second place. I have often wondered if these complaints to assist us all to be compliant should be borne by just a few. No one needs to tell responsible persons what time it is under this virus situation.

We are in the middle of a Pandemic and people are still taking money from the poor and depleting whatever has been donated or what their due is. It’s insane. We are in a pandemic and there are some persons responsible for keeping us at home compromising because they know your cousin or for a mess of pottage. If we continue in this casual irresponsible manner, we not only hurt the nation, we hurt our families. I have heard in the grapevine that equipment previously available in some quarters have gone missing as soon as the pandemic

The Spanish flu claimed a lot of lives in the first wave but reports show that the second wave claimed ten times more people when the lockdown was relaxed. This is because people began to gather again… Let us learn the lessons of history

became a thing. When you steal from those who need it most, you will come face to face with the law of karma. Somewhere your family member becomes ill and you have sold what could have been used. Our systems need shoring up.

Our people need to stand up to be counted. Our health workers need to be protected. Our media persons need to be protected. Essential workers are doing their best. Our security need training in non-war civil/ security relationship. Let us all take responsibility for keeping everyone safe. We are learning under this pandemic that there are so many things we can do without. You do not need that party at this time and where you need to go has to be absolutely important and crucial otherwise stay home. Take responsibility. Report what you see that may put us all at risk. This disease is not child’s play, is no respecter of persons, status, tribes or national borders. Stop passing buck. Do your bit. Do the needful. Take responsibility!

The Spanish flu claimed a lot of lives in the first wave but reports show that the second wave claimed ten times more people when the lockdown was relaxed. This is because people began to gather again, love and backslap each other, began to hug again and failed to keep social distance. Let us learn the lessons of history. The world will never be the same after Coronavirus.

Get your brain in gear. Don’t be a Covidiot!