…says it’s more political than realistic
Rep Rimamnde Shawulu Kwewum, a veteran journalist former Chairman House committee on Army in the 8th Assembly and grassroots politician represents Akum/Donga/Ussa/Yangtu Federal Constituency, Taraba State.
In this chat with TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) Regional Editor, Emman Ovuakporie, Rep Kwewum bared his mind on the recent move by the Federal Government to relax the lockdown primarily designed to curb the COVID-19 spread in Nigeria.
Read him:
The decision to ease the lockdown is obviously more political than realistic and scientific. The economic reasons adduced for proposed easing of the lockdown are purely political excuses that do not explain much.
It should be pointed out that Nigeria’s economy is a monoculture economy depending on the sale of oil. Even if we increase our oil production today, there are no buyers, or off takers to buy. The argument and advice of our economists to the effect that the economy needs to be opened up quickly against sound health advice and international best practices is simplistic, inhumane and will add very little value to the economy of the country.
Our economists have also argued that people will die even without the pandemic; that malaria, Lassa fever and other diseases are killing more people than COVID-19. That may be the case. However, the fact that some people may die does not justify policies and decisions that will actually get people killed.
COVID-19 is still in its infancy, therefore attempting to compare it with Malaria or Lassa fever is an unscientific mischievous adventure!
Secondly, while we have more specific information on malaria and other diseases, we don’t have scientifically verifiable information on the COVID-19. As President Muhammad Buhari himself said, the virus has no cure. Scientists have said that preliminary investigations have shown that the sequence of the virus includes broad categories of RNA viruses, which is why the cocktail used in the treatment protocol includes antiretroviral drugs.
Furthermore, scientists are yet to determine the effects the virus has on some recovered patients. We do not know what the impact will be on people who have recovered whether there are long-term effects on their immune system or whether anything will happen to them after recovery. Imagine, if a large population are infected by the ease of the lockdown and it turns out that there are long term effects! And so, it does not make economic sense to put your population, which is the biggest asset of Nigeria has today, at risk.
Those who argue that the continued lockdown of the economy will result in recession are not honest enough to admit to the obvious fact that as long as our economy depends on oil sales in other economies, any pressure in those economies will pull our country down into recession. In fact, given the low demand for oil resumption of massive production of oil will result in further devaluation of the product.
Reality of COVID 19 in Nigeria
On Friday May 1, the NCDC reported 238 new infections up from the previous days. The total number of confirmed cases has risen to 2170 with 68 deaths.
There has been a steady increase in the announced infection rate. If out of 12,000 tests conducted, we have 2,170 confirmed cases, it simply means that our infection rate of 19% is one of the highest in the world. Our death rate of 3.1 percent, reflects the global trend.
Going by what we know of the present global pattern, it is obvious that the cases will rise in Nigeria for some time to come. Our testing capacity is also one of the lowest in the world. The implication is clear. We do not know the true status of the epidemic in Nigeria. We may as well be sitting on something more dangerous and bigger.
This is why the politics of the fear of public uprising should not be allowed to dictate the pace of easing the lockdown. Opening up Nigeria now that the infection rate is increasing, is unwise, reckless and inhuman. Opening up Nigeria now will not stop the slide of the economy.