Promise Adiele
Coronavirus currently holds the world by the jugular, threatening to suffocate humanity. It recognizes no gender, status, creed or ethnicity. It is a present reality. In the spirit of the season, Ola Rotimi’s timeless play, ‘The gods Are Not to Blame’ provides a suitable anchor for a critical exegesis of the leadership question in Nigeria in the face of the lethal coronavirus onslaught. In the play, the land of Kutuje is hit by a mysterious ailment which leads to the death of many people.
Expectedly, the people besiege the palace, crying out to King Odewale to find a cure to the malady. One of the citizens addresses the king thus: “we have you as our head…yet we do not know whether to thank the gods that you are with us or to look elsewhere for hope”. Again, another citizen bellows: “…we have made you king, act as king”. As the people pour out their disappointments, one of the chiefs tries to shut them up but King Odewale restrains the chief, telling him to allow the people to have their say. Finally, the King spoke with such majesty and grandeur befitting his position. He encouraged the people, motivated them, and restored their waning confidence in his kingship.
The outbreak of coronavirus across the world has revealed the kind of leadership prevalent in most countries of the world. Like King Odewale, many responsible world leaders have risen to the occasion to address their people. Many other leaders have demonstrated palpable passion for their people, reeling off orders and pointing the way forward. As far as some world leaders are concerned, this is warfare. In their capacity as leaders, they are leading from the front, mobilizing their people, encouraging them, providing palliatives to ease the pain of the pandemic. That is effective leadership. Unfortunately, the Nigerian situation is different. Except for a 23 seconds video making the rounds on social media, where President Muhammadu Buhari read from a prepared speech, nothing concrete has emanated from Aso Rock. The galvanizing spirit required from a leader in such a critical time is lacking. What has the federal government done in reaction to the outbreak of the deadly virus? What measures have been put in place to combat the scourge? What more measures will be put in place? The president did not tell Nigerians.
Indeed effective leadership, responsive, and responsible leadership is underscored by how a leader responds to developments in his domain. This is the best time for the presidency to show love and commitment to Nigerians. This is the best time to restore dwindling confidence in the polity. This is the best time for the presidency to innervate Nigerians and reposition them to fight a common enemy. Every world leader, including countries that do not have a single record of the virus, has addressed his people more than once.
Donald Trump addresses Americans almost every hour. In Saudi Arabia, there is no case of the virus, yet their leader addresses them, pointing the way forward for all Arabians. It smacks of insouciance for the president to offer just a 23 seconds speech that lacks valve and immediacy in the face of serious health emergency in the country. To leave the responsibility to the health minister and other aides is not quite good. The body language of the presidency conveys a message of indifference. In these trying times, the president must speak to Nigerians regularly. He has no choice in the matter. He must speak to those who voted him into power. Let us assume that presidential elections are two months away in Nigeria. Will the president maintain this kind of ominous silence? I am sure he would have been touring all parts of the country, preaching and sermonizing how he will drive away COVID-19 in a matter of weeks.
Good enough, few governors in Nigeria have pointed the way to responsible leadership. I admire the exemplary attitude of the executive governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. I also give kudos to the governor of Ogun State, Mr. Dapo Abiodun, who has reacted responsibly. I must also commend church leaders like the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor E. A. Adeboye, and Dr. Daniel Olukoya of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries. These men of God have responded and re-arranged their schedules in the face of global realities. For other men, who grandstand as the mouthpiece of God, egged on by avarice to collect tithe and offerings, insisting to observe religious services to the detriment of their naïve, gullible worshippers, they should rightly guide their members on how to fight the disease. It is sad that some Nigerians have defied government instructions to attend church services, parties, and other gatherings. Coronavirus is in the air, the number of affected persons grows by the day. Anybody who chooses to play religion with the spread of the virus, hinging it on a show of faith, does not know God or understand biblical dynamics.
Coronavirus has exposed Nigeria’s dysfunctional health sector. Now, the chicken has come home to roost. The failure of our past leaders to establish world-class medical facilities and equip them in the country has today become a disgraceful emergency. In this era of a global pandemic, if government officials are ill, they will be treated here like the rest of ordinary citizens. No more escaping to foreign climes for the slightest ailment. The hospitals they didn’t equip must accommodate them. Never joke with the Law of Reciprocal Action – what you give out comes back to you.
In the face of coronavirus, what is the hope for Nigerians? What is the government doing to ameliorate the difficulties posed by the spread of the virus? Are there adequate testing kits in all the government and private hospitals across the country? Are there masks, sanitizers, and such other items that can assuage the critical conditions in the country? Are there enough health workers in all the hospitals across Nigeria to combat the spread of the virus? I have watched many world leaders on TV rolling out plans to combat the virus. Streets are cleaned, people are tested on the streets, masks and sanitizers are distributed to millions of people, and all hands are on deck to ensure that the virus is adequately combated. Why is our case in this country different? Annoyingly, many Nigerians would want to play politics with this issue, thinking in terms of APC and PDP, making excuses for obvious failure and inadequacy. I have called a meeting in my household, pointing the way forward to every member. Every responsible leader, in whatever capacity, should do so. Otherwise, he should be stripped of the accolade of a leader and consigned to the hall of infamy. There is more to leadership than positions.
Dr Adiele teaches in the Department of English, Mountain Top University via [email protected]