Disturbed by the increasing spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria and across the world, I cautioned last week that it might be pertinent to impose a national lockdown as one of the measures to curtail the virus. Not only was the caution not heeded, some governors further relaxed the floppy restrictions they had in their states with the excuse to allow people to celebrate Easter! What an interesting excuse! How did we end up with the kind of leaders particularly governors we have in Nigeria, a friend lamented!
In reviewing the level of compliance to the restrictions in our different states, one can only describe it as flawed and unserious not only in compliance but also in announcements, awareness, enforcement and leadership. This clearly demonstrates that even with the most disturbing mortalities across the world, we are (particularly our governors) are still attending to the crisis with a chequered attention. It is pathetic and shocking, a frustrated elderly friend sorrowfully stated. Are you sure that some of them (the governors) are not intentionally creating the opportunity to have COVID-19 cases in their states to partake in the sharing of the largesse being distributed, another friend grievingly muted!
Of the 36 states and FCT, it seems that Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dave Umahi are the only governors that really understands the seriousness of the pandemic and the need to curtail it. While many of our governors are unserious and unprepared, others seem to be playing politics with the deadly crisis. Lamentably, as they continue to treat the COVID-19 pandemic with the same levity to which they have treated governance issues in their states and Nigeria, the virus is exponentially spreading. To be specific, the spread of the virus in Nigeria and most recently to Katsina, Kano and Anambra can be clearly attributed to our lousy approach to governance. Another good example is Osun state with about 20 cases as at Monday 13th April 2020. In Lagos even with the Presidential affirmation of lockdown, the security guard of a friend travelled to Kebbi state via Ibadan last week to get married to his third wife!
With an index case in Lagos in just about a month ago, we now have about 323 confirmed cases in Nigeria spread across 19 states and FCT. As the spread to other states outside Lagos and Abuja could have been prevented or significantly reduced if we acted proactively through a national lockdown and other strategies, it is important that our leaders particularly the governors show leadership to prevent or curtail further spread to other states. This is most important if we appreciate that all the confirmed cases in 17 states can be traced to people that passed through Lagos or Abuja.
Moreover, this call and need to show responsible leadership and shared responsibility cannot be more important than now given our weak health sector that is manifesting with very slow rate of testing as compared to other African countries. While Nigeria has tested only about 5,000 cases in a country of 200 million people, South Africa with about 60 million people has done about 75, 000 tests. This is also the case with Ghana of about 31 million people that has carried out about 37,400 tests and Egypt of about 102 million people with about 25,000 tests. Given our population, size and the time that the virus first emerged in China and signalled a potential outbreak, are we not supposed to have at least one test centre and a properly equipped isolation centre in every state of Nigeria?
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With the emerging wide negative socio-economic and health impacts of COVID-19 on Nigeria, am not sure there is a better time to exhibit responsible leadership and shared responsibility than now. Nigerians expect more than we are getting from our governors in terms of proactiveness, collaboration, strategic thinking and coordinated leadership. Of the 36 governors, the coordinated leadership task rests more with His Excellency Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state. As the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, this is the time to exhibit unquestionable leadership and coordination of other governors. While it is commendable but now fruitless to help in reconciling Governor Ganduje and Lamido Sanusi, a more commendable task will be to ensure that our governors understand the seriousness of the socio-economic and health crisis and act accordingly.
Moreover, this call and need to show responsible leadership and shared responsibility cannot be more important than now given our weak health sector that is manifesting with very slow rate of testing as compared to other African countries
A situation where the governors seem to be working at cross-purposes and clearly against our national interests is sad and condemnable. If some governors are not relaxing their ineffective restrictions, others seem to be doubting the existence of COVID19 in Nigeria from their actions and inactions. While it is good for the Presidential COVID 19 team to chat with His Excellency Kayode Fayemi from time to time, it is not enough. Nigerians need to see the effectiveness of such discussions in the proactive actions and inactions of our governors. For instance, the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum or his deputy should be a member of the Presidential COVID 19 Team. The suggestion and coordination of a national lockdown should be championed in collaboration with the federal government by the Nigerian Governors Forum to make it more effective. Outside asking for waivers and palliatives from Federal Government, the Nigeria Governors Forum should come out with their own policy paper on how the states either regionally or individually will mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the crisis. Expectedly, the mitigation policies should contain details of collaboration with the federal government on one side and with the private sector on the other side. As we have about 17 states that have not recorded a confirmed index case yet, the question is how the governors of the respective states will collaborate with states with confirmed cases to prevent further spread. This will require proactive responsible leadership and patriotic shared responsibility.
Franklin Nnaemeka Ngwu
Dr. Ngwu is a Senior Lecturer in Strategy, Risk Management & Corporate Governance, Lagos Business School and a Member, Expert Network, World Economic Forum. E-mail- [email protected],
