TheNewsGuru

Tag: Pandemic

  • Nigerians: Groping towards a post-pandemic world – Owei Lakemfa

    By Owei Lakemfa.

    INTELLECTUALS, diplomats, social activists, trade unionists and international relations experts across the country gathered in Abuja on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, to dissect the state of Nigerians under COVID-19 as they trudge towards a post-pandemic world. It was an occasion to mark the 10th anniversary of the Society for International Relations Awareness, SIRA, the foremost foreign relations think-tank which strives to democratise foreign policy.

    Dr. Daniel Mann, the new Resident Representative of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, FES, which partnered SIRA for the event, said the COVID-19 era is likely to stay with humanity for long and that no individual country can take on the pandemic alone. He argued that it is the duty of the human race to face this challenge together and ensure success, including in the distribution of vaccines to all humans.

    Ambassador Sani Bala, the first Nigerian ambassador to Qatar concurred with Mann, saying no country will be safe from COVID-19 unless all countries are safe. The ambassador who is the vice president of the Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria and was chairperson of the occasion, lamented that the global humanitarian architecture is quite weak and would, in the face of the pandemic, need to be strengthened.

    Prof. Istifanus Sonsare Zabadi, Dean of Post Graduate Studies, Bingham University, argued that only multilateralism can save the world because no one will be secure without all being secured. He added that humanity’s only option is to engage in the burden of sharing in which humanity pulls together.

    Prof. Amadu Sesay, a leading authority on the Economic Community of West African States, and the African Union, drew attention to the fact that the United Nations, UN, was established due to the collapse of multilateralism under the League of Nations. He said it was realised that countries acting in their individual interests will lead to problems which is why the UN Preamble emphasises the need to save humanity from the scourge of war and defend the equal rights of all humans and nations. He explained that multilateralism is like a big estate with individual landlords, and that if each sticks to individual rights, the estate will be ruined. But that if all come together to provide common services like cleaning and security, the estate will be conducive for human habitation. Prof. Sesay said given their sovereign rights, states can only be persuaded, not compelled on issues. Multilateralism, he posited, works to the advantage of underdeveloped countries who may not have the resources to cater for themselves as individual states. Without multilateralism, he said small African countries who cannot even feed their citizens or provide basic needs, would be unable to provide COVID-19 vaccines for their populace. A multilateral world, he argues, also confers protection against bullies, knowing there are big brothers like the UN which can stand up for the weak. A major mistake of Saddam Hussein, he said, was to invade Kuwait leading to the UN wrestling that country from his grips. Prof. Sesay argued that the outgoing American President, Donald Trump, is a danger to a multilateral world, saying with the latter withdrawing America from the World Health Organisation, the Iran Nuclear Deal and the Climate Change Agreement, he was not sure if Trump would not have withdrawn America from the UN were he to be president for another four years.

    Prof. W. Alade Fawole, a leading foreign affairs guru and author of books like The Illusion of The Post-Colonial State: Governance and Security Challenges in Africa and Nigeria’s External Relations and Foreign Policy Under Military Rule: 1966-1999, said Trumpism was just an aberration. He argued that although multilateralism and globalisation have their challenges, they have to be addressed. Prof. Fawole argued that nations today are facing challenges which no individual state can solve pointing out that the COVID-19 pandemic in fact has affected strong countries like America, Britain and Italy more than the weak ones. He reiterated that humanity faces a common challenge in climate change which has led to increasing desertification, forcing huge populations to migrate with attendant security challenges. COVID-19, he said, is a menace and danger to the whole world, requiring a global response. He pointed out that when the pandemic started, the immediate reaction of various countries was to close their borders, but that has been shown to be a futility. Human beings, he argued, must overcome such nativity, pointing out that vaccine nativism or apartheid, will not work.

    Dr. Wilson Ijide who is also a retired colonel, argued that with migration, education thriving internationally and tourism, no country can self-isolate. He said conspiracy theories have reduced the ability of countries to react effectively to COVID-19 and that government should find a way of inoculating Nigerians against conspiracy theories so they do not become gullible.

    Prof. Bolade Eyinla, a specialist in diplomatic history and expert in elections, steered the discussions towards new waters: can multilateralism work without an enforcer? If major forces go rogue, who calls them to order? He doubts the world will be a better place with multilateralism, arguing that the damage America has done in the last four years would have led to the death of multilateralism had Europe joined that country. Prof. Warisu Oyesina Alli, political scientist and author of six major books, in response to Eyinla’s question, argued that the world of multilateralism does not need somebody to enforce, but to lead.

    Prof. Emeritus Anthony Ijaola Asiwaju, historian and leading expert on border issues, recalled his 1984 inaugural lecture and his conviction that the world needs a ‘United Nations of Border Peoples’. He lamented the closure of the country’s borders and that the EndSARS campaign must not end until an end is put to the brutal violation of the human rights of the people in the border areas.

    Rear Admiral Anthony Isa is unhappy Nigeria is making no contribution to the fight against the pandemic. He asked rhetorically: “What percentage of our budget is for research?” He believes Nigerians are not ready to run a proper country. Dr. Ejike Madu said the country has survived the pandemic scourge not due to any serious preparations but only by divine intervention, adding: “How can we have prestige when we are not bringing anything to the table?”

    SIRA Chairperson, Prof. Nuhu Omeiza Yaqub, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Abuja and Sokoto State University, said the organisation, which has published eight books, believes that Nigeria’s wellbeing “could be enhanced in a world that is highly multilateralised…The whole purpose shall be no matter what, planet earth must survive!” The verdict of the gathering is that with the entire humanity facing a common enemy in COVID-19, leaving even one country unprotected, will spell doom for the entire human race.

  • We are in for a spike in mental ill-health – Ozioma Onyenweaku

    We are in for a spike in mental ill-health – Ozioma Onyenweaku

    By Ozioma Onyenweaku

    I have previously written on the level of depression particularly among women and the young ones in Nigeria. We had, among many others, the case of Ms Adisa that drowned her baby in a bucket of water and reported herself to the police in a manner and fashion of one expecting a trophy.

    Quite recently too we have the case of Hauwa Habibu of Diso Community in Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State of Nigeria who stabbed her two children to death, leaving her niece with serious stab injuries.

    There is no doubt that both ladies had mental issues which were not recognized and addressed. Hauwa’s case was that she had even earlier explained to her husband her strange feelings but the husband kept asking her to pray believing that she was possessed.

    Before now, World Health Organization, WHO, had estimated that one in four Nigerians, that’s about 50 million people, are suffering from some sort of mental illness. WHO went further to state that Nigeria has Africa’s highest caseload of depression, and ranks the 15th in the world in the frequency of suicide.

    The Federal Neuron-Psychiatric hospital Yaba, one of the 8 Federal neuron-psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria, was reported as having a 22 % increase in the number of new patients with different types of mental illnesses in 2019. Each doctor then was tending to 50 to 80 patients per day including the 535 inpatients, and the 100 or more emergency cases who were rushed to the hospital each week.

    The above report was before 2020, the year that presented the most trying period of our recent times. The year 2020 presented us with the COVID-19 pandemic, and a pandemonium that followed a peaceful protest by the youths.

    It is safe to say that the events of this year have actually increased the stress level in the system. The effect on the mental stability of all can be appreciated if we understand the fact that stressful life situations such as financial problems, a loved one’s death, and trauma play very big roles in activating mental illness.

    The COVID-19 pandemic grounded the economy and brought about a lot of financial stress, and raised the hunger level among citizens. Just while people were trying to get out of the pandemic to look for new lease of life, the pandemonium that followed the peaceful protest struck. With wanton destruction of lives and property, many Nigerians lost it. With the sad events, remaining sane has become a struggle among many Nigerians. Definitely, we must expect a spike in mental illness in Nigeria.

    The Federal Neuron-Psychiatric hospital Yaba used to open 9 am to 1:30 pm but my recent fact-finding visit to the hospital shows that it now opens earlier and stays open till 5pm to enable the doctors catch up with attending to more patients that keep trooping in.

    There is need for the Federal Republic of Nigeria to revisit its commitment to health care particularly mental health care in the country.

    Nigerians now need more and better psychiatric care. There should be more commitment on the part of the government to ensure that more people get access to mental healthcare. Record has it that not more than 10% of Nigerians have access to the care they need.

    A country of more than 200 million people having less than 150 psychiatrists is not encouraging at all.
    Government is expected to show commitment by the resources it makes available to the healthcare sector. The instance of 2018 budget where 133 million Naira was allocated to the healthcare sector but only 10% of that amount released by the Federal government to the sector is sad news. With the increase and expected increase in mental ill patients, better and prompt funding by the government is desired. This is a ripe time for Federal Republic of Nigeria to adhere to the Abuja Declaration which stipulates 15% of total government budget to be allocated to health care sector.

    Individually, we must look out for one another. Take action for every abnormal sign or complaint of any around you. Recognize any strange behaviour as deserving serious attention. We must change our mentality and perception of Psychiatric hospitals. Being referred to psychiatric hospital does not mean that the person has gone mad. No! When the head and brain get too stressed out by disturbing situations and events, a visit to the psychiatrist would do a whole lot of good.

    Prayers work but we must back up our prayers with necessary and needed action. Don’t just pray and do nothing. Take needed steps and the prayers would coordinate the steps in the right direction to achieve a healing.

  • PTF warns against closure of isolation centres, says second wave of pandemic imminent

    PTF warns against closure of isolation centres, says second wave of pandemic imminent

    The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 Control has cautioned against the closure of isolation centres.

    Health Minister Dr. Osagie Ehanire warned states against taking the drop in the number of cases on admission and apparent decline in the number of active COVID-19 cases for an end to infections.

    He advised them to maintain some of the isolation centres in readiness for a possible surge in cases and a second wave of the pandemic, as evident in other countries across the globe.

    Dr. Ehanire, who spoke during the PTF briefing in Abuja on Monday, said: “With the decline in the number of active cases and the number of cases on admission drops, some isolation centres in the country are already making arrangements to rationalise the number of frontline health personnel into the reserve pool or redeployed. This would be done in a manner that will allow easy re-mobilisation where necessary.

    “We, however, advise states and relevant stakeholders not to completely close all isolation centres due to consistent lack of patients but some centres should rather be maintained. This is to ensure promptness and readiness against any surge as part of l preparation against possible second wave.

    “We are taking advantage of the low active cases to carry out appraisal and reappraisal of activities at the isolation centres. This is necessary to assess and understand areas of strengths, weaknesses, available opportunities as well as dangers. Such activities will consolidate gains while taking measures to prevent re-occurrence of errors as well as deployment of appropriate resources.

    “We are also making arrangements for stock taking and repurposing of equipment earlier deployed to temporary isolation centres with a view to using the opportunity provided by the resource mobilisation for the COVID-19 response for health systems strengthening.”

    The minister cautioned protesting youths against attacking medical stores and warehouses belonging to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

    According to him, the drugs and other medical consumables in such warehouses are stored under controlled environmental conditions, warning that the destruction of the items would impact negatively on our response to the pandemic.

    He said: “The NCDC warehouse in Idu is used for the storage of medical and laboratory consumables and equipment. Destruction of these items will impact negatively on our response to this pandemic.

    “I also call on all who are in possession of vaccines, medicine and other equipment and consumables to please return them. Those that can still be salvaged will be used and those that cannot will be disposed off properly.”

    PTF Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, said the nation has been negatively impacted by the looting and arson triggered by the #EndSARS protests.

    Mustapha, who pointed out that the virus had kept its speed across the globe, noted that though Nigeria had yet to experience a second wave of the virus, the ongoing unrest and escalating criminal activities had further stretched the national economy.

    He said: “The PTF still wishes to appeal to all Nigerians to remain law abiding and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to restore normalcy to our dear country.

    “Humanity has been traumatized by COVID-19. Our nation is not experiencing a second wave but has been impacted negatively by the looting and arson.”

    Speaking on the invasion of palliative warehouses, the PTF chair clarified the mode of distribution of palliatives, noting that the supply provided by the private sector initiative, under the umbrella of CACOVID, was affected.

    He said: “Of particular concern to the PTF, is the issue of palliatives found and looted from various warehouses around the country. It is important to make the following clarifications.

    “The Federal Government palliatives consisted largely of the 70MT of grains released from the Strategic Grain Reserves as well as rice secured from the Nigerian Customs Service. The share for each state was handed over to the state governments for onward distribution to the citizens.”

    The NCDC said Nigerians cannot run away from the consequences of mass gatherings, especially as a result of protests, religious activities that have taken place over the past weeks.

    It further said that as a result of the curfew placed by some state governments to maintain peace in their domains was slowing down testing in COVID-19 testing laboratories.

    Its Director-General Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said: “The outbreak is escalating around the world literally. We have held things down because of our proactive measures – the very effective airport screening which was put in place to limit the re-introduction of cases from countries where the outbreak is escalating.

    “This virus does not know the reason why people are congregating – whether you are congregating for religious purposes, protest, partying, etc. This virus takes opportunity of people coming together.

    “We cannot afford to let down our guards irrespective of what our anger is at the moment. As we move into the next two weeks, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that we have to watch the numbers very carefully.

    “The reasons are obvious – we have gathered in our masses for whatever reason, and now we have to keep our eyes open to face the potential consequences. But those consequences are not inevitable. We can still do our part to prevent them.”

  • 3 safety tips for partygoers amid pandemic

    3 safety tips for partygoers amid pandemic

    It is no longer news that Nigerians loves partying and attending social functions. Social media is always awash with pictures of diverse people attending one ‘Owambe’(a sobriquet used by many Lagosians to refer to a party)or the other.

    When COVID-19 broke out, the vibrant Nigerian social scene was greatly affected with many resorting to virtual events.

    TheNewsGuru(TNG) takes a look at necessary safety tips to adhere to so as to avoid contracting the virus .

     

     

    1 .Avoid hugs and handshakes

    When you attend any of these ‘Owambes’, it is necessary for you to avoid hugs and handshakes.A safe greeting like elbow bumps is a better option instead of hugs and handshakes.

     

    A nurse and infection prevention director at Banner-University Medical Centre in the US, Brandie Anderson, said physical touch should be avoided for the time being.

    She said, “As humans, physical touch doesn’t just feel nice, it’s crucial to our overall health and well-being. And with people around the world practicing social distancing and self-isolation to curb the spread, some of us are feeling the negative effects.

     

    “So, even though countries are slowly reopening, consider this before you run and tackle someone in a giant bear hug: COVID-19 can still easily spread from person-to-person, even when someone doesn’t show any symptoms. Nothing has changed in how it spreads, so follow social distancing practices and continue to wear a face covering where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain”.

     

     

    1. Spend less time at a party

    Though Nigerians are used to partying for long hours, however with the outbreak of the pandemic, it is wise to curtail the time you spend at a party.It is also imperative for you to attend parties where the organizers have regard for COVID-19 safety protocols issued by the government.

     

    1. Plan outdoor rather than indoor party

     

    The tendency to contract COVID-19 is higher indoors, especially in cramped spaces where people may not be wearing face coverings or keeping their distance from others.

    Racheal Lutz in her article ‘Guide to event planning amidst coronavirus said:” One of the most important things event planners can do to mitigate this outbreak is to continually assess whether to postpone, cancel, or significantly reduce the number of attendees at the mass gathering. Some considerations for this option include the density of attendees within the confined area, the potential economic impact to those involved, and the level of transmission among attendees and those they could spread the virus to when they return home”.

     

  • Millions of women lose access to abortion services during pandemic

    Millions of women lose access to abortion services during pandemic

    Reproductive Health Charity Mary Stopes International (MSI) on Wednesday said 1.9 million women across the world had lost access to its contraception and safe abortion services in the first half of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “The impact of the crisis was particularly harsh in India where an estimated 1.3 million women lost access to such services due to strict lockdown measures.

    “With 920,000 fewer safe abortion and post-abortion care services being delivered, 90 per cent less than predicted,” MSI said in a press release.
    MSI’s findings, based on data collected from January to June across the 37 countries where the charity operates, confirmed fears that the lockdowns could have a devastating impact on reproductive health of women.

    A UN Population Fund analysis published in April had predicted that significant levels of lockdown-related disruptions over six months could leave 47 million women in low- and middle-income countries without access to modern contraceptives, leading to a projected 7 million additional unintended pregnancies.

    MSI estimated that the lack of access to its services between January and June lead to 900,000 additional unintended pregnancies, 1.5 million unsafe abortions and 3,100 additional pregnancy-related deaths.

    In India alone, the lack of its services lead to an estimated additional 1 million unsafe abortions and an additional 650,000 unintended pregnancies and 2,600 maternal deaths.

    India has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world and no less than 50 per cent is estimated to be due to sepsis and illegally induced abortions.

  • Giving telecoms a new job in the age of pandemic, By Okoh Aihe

    Giving telecoms a new job in the age of pandemic, By Okoh Aihe

    By Okoh Aihe

    The lizard family enjoys the ignominious homogeneity of lying prostrate on the ground, so it is difficult to say which one has a bellyache. Same would be said of our educational sector apropos technology. Before COVID-19, there were technology connections going on in as many schools as possible, mostly in secondary and tertiary institutions. It would be assumed then that things were going very well to stem any eventuality and laugh at failure in the face. Then the wind blew inform of an unexpected pandemic and the backside of the fowl revealed a non-too complimentary picture.

    This writer is only fortunate to have a voice through a weekly column. He has wards in the country’s education system, both in public and private schools, from the primary, through secondary, to the tertiary institutions. He has seen bungled efforts on the part of schools, frenetic attempts to do something new and has also seen docility and acquiescence to failure by government institutions who have really not squared up to a new normal.

    If this happened in 1999 it would enjoy some toleration because technology was mostly only for the marketers, some organisations projecting into the future, and the apostles in the guise of journalists who continued to sermonize about a world that looks more utopian than reality, but which for them was the only way to go. COVID-19 is only a painful reminder that, that future is here and we have missed the point very badly. Remember 1999? Our telecoms development was still being compared to that of Mongolia and the space to maneuver was strictured.

    I had some moments of flashback over the weekend, looking at some of the activities of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, and wondering whether, beyond the exaggerated sense of achievements, there is a way it can work with other Ministries, like the Ministry of Education, for Nigerians to truly enjoy the benefits of a digital ecosystem. For instance, the ministry houses the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) with its sub sect, the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), Galaxy Backbone Plc., National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComsat) Limited, and Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST). Some of these agencies are businesses which is quite anomalous in a liberalized business environment in which government expects to attract some foreign investment. Reason being that anywhere government is involved in business directly, competition takes back seat, and favoritism and patronage become the real beneficiaries. One other reason that people are concerned with developments in the telecommunications industry is that the sector should occupy the heart of any genuine growth and development in the country only if it can be symmetrical with other sectors of the economy.

    For instance, some of the agencies under the Ministry carry out a lot of tech build out programmes in secondary and tertiary institutions across the country, is it not possible to involve the Ministry of Education and NUC in the rollout process to ensure relevance and justifiable use of the projects? Is it not possible for the NCC and, through the USPF, properly map out a deployment process that will put the education sector at a point of advantage? Is it not also possible to ensure that organisations like MainOne are able to reach out to the education sector with a special pricing and thus be able to create a niche market?

    And wait for this. NigComSat has a satellite in space and you will agree with me that a satellite out there without proper utilization is not more than an unidentified flying object (UFO) waiting to drop out there or simply just endanger the life of humans on earth. My idea is that NigComSat is a fluke, an idea oversubscribed through poverty of thoughts and deficient reasoning. Otherwise, the business should be able to sell satellite space to individuals and organisations who need such technology. I would think that part of its business would be to connect most of the institutions in the country and ensure they enjoy sustained internet connectivity. This way, the students are happy and NigComSat will make money. But what do we have? A government business that draws money from government to fund its budget instead of being self-sustaining.

    Why should one think this way? We should always project into the future and expect things to happen, including bad ones. For instance, between 2014 and 2016 when the Ebola disease hit some West African countries, education was a major casualty. In countries that were really hit schools suffered closure for between six to eight months leaving millions out of school. Nigeria had a star performance in warding off Ebola: 19 infections and seven deaths. The world tried to study the Nigerian model. However countries plan ahead for Education in Emergencies (EiM) – war could break out, there could be some natural disaster; how do we respond as a country?

    COVID-19 had a global hit giving it the notoriety of a pandemic. The Nigerian government ordered the closure of schools on March 19, 2020. Unlike Ebola that was strategically tamed, COVID-19 assumed a frightening dimension and the government didn’t want to risk the safety of the students and the general well-being of the citizenry. Even now schools remain shut with exit students just starting their exams on Monday. COVID-19 effect on life including education is comprehensively disconcerting.

    In her work, written for World Literacy Foundation, Education and COVID-19 in Nigeria: Tackling the Digital Divide, Taibat Aduragba Hussain made some inquisitions: “Considering the state of Nigeria’s education sector, pertinent questions arose: Do schools in Nigeria have the technology to cater for the 46million students affected? Do households have the facilities to engage their children in remote learning? Do teachers have the resources to deliver live lessons or record a massive open online (MOOC) styled lessons?”

    The truth is that there are too many troubles facing the country at the moment. Even before the pandemic poverty was already dealing a mortal blow on the country causing us to become the poverty capital of the world, meaning that too many people, some stats say over 100million, live below one US dollar a day. Those grinding out this corroding daily existence would not immediately be fascinated with digital education. It would interest you here to know that the Nigerian Communications Commission would always talk of the digital divide and the served and underserved areas. The pandemic revealed the deep under-belly of the gulfs that exist in the industry demonstrated in the fact that most city dwellers seem to be years ahead of rural folks even when telecommunications signals are available in over 70 per cent of the country.

    Without wanting to jump to conclusions, I posed one question to three gentlemen, one industry practitioner and two academics: Was Nigeria ready for the pandemic? “Engr Gbenga Adebayo, ALTON President observed that “as a people, culturally, we are too used to bricks and mortar, always with the notion that church and school must be within a confined environment without taking into consideration the lifestyle of today’s young people. The pandemic has shown that the church and school can be inside your electronic gadget – your phone, computer, iPad and other means of connectivity. We need to change our way of thinking”

    A Professor of Mechatronics, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof Abiodun Musa Aibinu, was vehement in saying that “technically, our education system as a whole was not prepared for the pandemic and we were also a bit slow in our reaction.” While praising the National Universities Commission for developing capacity for open distant learning (ODL) and licensing some institutions to offer distant learning services, he requested of government to pay attention to research which has nearly been forgotten in the fight against COVID-19.

    Prof Muhamed Bashir Muazu of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, lamented the rot in the education system, pointing out that university lecturers under ASUU, were on strike even before the pandemic. “No. The no is not necessarily that we don’t have the facilities; even the people in the system are not skilled enough. The University system says we can’t go virtual because we are not ready to face reality.” Muazu warned that the world is leaving us behind. “There should be a policy that permits virtual learning, a policy that will compel us to do a serious rethink on the way we deliver content.”

    Some people are already looking at the other side of a disease infecting millions and killing hundreds of thousands around the world, and asking for a traction between the telecoms industry and the education sector in order to extract meaning and advantage out of a painful moment in history.

    Okoh Aihe writes from Abuja

     

  • Racism under pandemic skies, By Owei Lakemfa

    By Owei Lakemfa.

     

    I HAVE in recent days thought more about homo-sapiens, and revalidated my firm position that irrespective of location, colour, status, gender, creed or greed, humans are one. It gladdened my heart that irrefutable scientific evidence shows that humans share over 99 per cent of the same DNA.

     

    My recent thoughts were triggered off following my participation in a two-day virtual conference by the Afe Babalola University on the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of international relations. My thoughts also reinforced my old assertion that racists like Adolf Hitler, Benjamin Nethanyahu, Donald Trump and Boris Johnson who claim or believe in the superiority of one race over the other, are sick.

     

    Racism, like ethnicity is conditioned and can be overcome by rational thinking and building positive constructs. Karl Marx in dissecting human society, came to the scientific conclusion that the fundamental difference among humans is neither race nor faith, but the class they belong. That the English billionaire and the Nigerian billionaire belong to the same ruling class and that the English worker and the Nigerian worker, are members of the same working class; that huge ocean of human beings who sell their physical and mental labour for wages in order to feed, clothe, shelter and provide basic healthcare for themselves and their loved ones.

     

    Ordinarily, believers should not be racist; nobody who says he wants to be Christ-like (Christian) can be a racist. The best example of a Christ-like human is the American, John Brown who with his two sons laid down their lives for the emancipation of slaves. That he is not really recognised nor is his birthday a public holiday, is an indication of the type of society America is; where lives, especially of the poor and Blacks don’t matter.

     

    It is for the same racist reasons the great contributions of ancient Egypt to modern civilisation and knowledge is deliberately down played. These cannot be acknowledged as they do not fit into the sick claims that Whites are superior and Blacks, inferior.

     

    The African revolutionary and medical expert, Franz Fanon encapsulated the human situation in his 1952 book ‘Black Skin, White Masks’ when he wrote: “The Negro, enslaved by his inferiority, the White man, enslaved by his superiority alike behave in accordance with a neurotic orientation.” That is the truth, that humanity has been conditioned and imprisoned by a neurotic orientation.

    We find this going far back to Biblical times, when a group of people claimed to be ‘God’s Chosen People’ when the truth is that they choose themselves. They also claim superiority over all other races (The gentiles). But the Bible exposed such falsehood as it informed that “God created man in his own image.” The simple understanding of this is that God created nobody in his own colour; but that all humans are the image of God.

     

    Perhaps the greatest miracle of modern civilisation is how the Jews left the Palestine as brown-skinned peoples and returned as White people with pointed noses! That is why the White establishment which appropriated Christianity, enslaving people in its name and turning it into a commercial brand, has striven to cast Jesus Christ in the image of a bearded young White man with blue eyes. The most enduring of these images which is common in cathedrals and dominates the subconsciousness of many, is that of Cesare Borgia, the second son of Pope Alexander VI. This model of the “new Jesus Christ” was said to have been painted by Leonardo Vinci.

     

    Another enduring image is that of British actor, Robert Powell who at 33, was casted as Jesus Christ in the 1977 film “Jesus of Nazareth.” So successful was this film across the world, that Powell’s image and photographs were adopted and displayed inside churches across the world as the image of Jesus Christ. It became so universal that the actor had to make a public declaration saying: “I never cease to say and I repeat it to the world since 1977. I am not Jesus Christ, I am just an actor and British comedian. I am tired of seeing my photos displayed in places of worship and other places for worship. I just make a film for a living. Burn my picture and worship the only God in truth! I am just an actor… Jesus is Lord!”

     

    In the wake of the Black Lives Matter universal protests, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on June 26, 2020 said the Anglican Church should reconsider the way statues and other representations of Jesus portray him as a Whiteman. As for me, I am human, and I do not need to prove it.

     

    The fight for racial equality is not a struggle to be equal as nature already guarantees that; rather, it is a struggle against ingrained and systemic racism and its many manifestations including police brutality. American President Donald Trump called COVID-19 the “The Chinese Disease” implying that it originates from a particular race. Even some Africans whom Trump says live in “shit hole countries” joined him in the racial slur; that coronavirus is “Made in China” and whatever is made in China is not durable. However, these racially based slurs virtually collapsed with the revelation that people in France had contacted COVID-19 three months before the first cases in China.

     

    America has also tried to use COVID-19 as pretext to expel non-American students, mainly Blacks, whose courses have been moved online. The Trump administration asked them to return home to continue their studies. The Black Lives Matter global protests under COVID-19 skies showed that there are large sections of humanity ready to fight for racial and social justice even at the risk of their lives. COVID-19 is indeed a sobering reality; that all humans are as vulnerable as the most vulnerable; that we all live in the same universe and what affects one, affects all. There is a connect between social status and COVID-19. For instance the United Nations say in US, the death rate of African Americans is more than double that of other racial groups. That in England and Wales, the death rate of Blacks and Asians are about double the Whites while in Sao Paulo, Brazil, non-Whites are 62 percent more likely to die of COVID-19.

     

    Also, in the run up to finding a cure and vaccine for COVID-19, some French doctors argued that the trials should be carried out on Blacks not Whites! There is also the possibility that a cure for COVID-19 when found may be priced out of the hands of the poor. So part of the struggle for racial equality is that COVID-19 drugs and vaccines when discovered or developed, must be democratised, otherwise the untreated poor will infect the treated rich.

  • Rape Pandemic: The fault is not the absence of relevant laws – Ozioma Onyeweaku

    Rape Pandemic: The fault is not the absence of relevant laws – Ozioma Onyeweaku

    By Ozioma Onyeweaku

    While we are battling with how to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, some elements in the society are busy creating more agonizing situations.

    The recent cases of rape are so barbaric and so saddening: the despicable gang rape of 18-year- old Jennifer in Kaduna state, the wicked gang rape of 12-year-old Farishina in Jigawa state, the agonizing rape and murder of Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, the heartless rape and murder of Barakat Bello in Ibadan.

    God have mercy! There is even a new dimension to the rape incidents: the killing of the victim to cover up the track.

    So sad! Worried by these incessant cases of rape, some people are pushing for a law providing for stricter punishment for the rapist as a way of curbing the menace. This is understandable because the rate at which rape cases increase tends to suggest that there are not enough laws punishing the offender, and protecting the citizens.

    It is my considered opinion that the escalation of rape is not due to the absence of relevant laws but in the weakness in the implementation of the laws. The truth remains that Nigeria is very good at making impressive laws.

    Where we are found wanting is in the implementation of those laws. The slow wheel of justice is one great constraint that limits the efficacy of the law with respect to sexual abuse.

    Starting from the Police station where the victim could be harassed and even blamed for being raped, and the financial demand for ‘Report &Action’, to the court where the case could drag on for years. Most of the times the investigating police officer (IPO) would have been transferred to another state or be sent on special duty. All witnesses would have lost interest.

    The complainant becomes frustrated and abandons the case. Then the lawyer for the accused applies for a striking out of the case. The case is struck out. There goes free a rapist whose freedom would boost his morale to look for another victim.

    As Marcus Tullius Cicero puts it, “the greatest incentive to crime is the hope of escaping punishment.” The mere knowledge or belief that they can capitalize on our weak system and escape punishment is what is growing the activities of the rapists.

    I remember vividly a case of a two & half-year-old girl that was sexually molested few years ago. The witnesses and neighbors were trooping to court each court day until the adjournments became too many and they started losing interest until none of them was coming. The case lasted for not less than 4 years. It was eventually struck out because the prosecutor that was later reassigned to the court did not report to duty.

    So absence of the prosecutor was the reason for the striking out of the case. Immediately the case for struck out, the accused person and his surety changed their base, and phone numbers changed.

    Every effort to trace the accused and his surety proved abortive. Till date, it still pains me the way that case went because the little girl pleaded with me to ensure to “beat brother (that is the accused).

    Mummy, please push him inside gutter for me because he made this place (pointing to her private part) to be paining me” Well, I am happy that Lagos State has taken bold and proactive steps in its resolve to maintain zero tolerance of sexual abuse in the state. The creation of special courts by Lagos State government for sexual abuses and domestic violence has ensured that such cases are disposed off speedily.

    I commend Lagos State government and the Lagos state judiciary. One other militating factor is the culture of silence which grew out of societal attitude and stigma. People fear the stigmatization that follows a report of rape. “Who will marry a girl that has been raped; why not keep it to yourself?”, well-meaning friends and relatives would advise. The secrecy with which the issue of rape is handled fuels sexual abuse.

    Also our society has not grown to the stage of seeing the giving out of information in this regard as a social responsibility. However, I am happy that the silence culture is gradually being broken.

    Some people now damn the stigma and report sexual abuses. Some are also recognizing such reports as social responsibility even when they are not involved.

    A case in point is the report made by well-meaning citizens that led to the recent arrest of a 23-year-old man who was seen deeply sucking the lips of his three-year-old step sister. Such vigilance on the part of everyone is required if we must curb sexual abuses in our society.

  • China discovers new virus that can lead to another pandemic

    A new strain of flu virus spreading in Chinese pigs may also infect humans and become another pandemic as human beings have no immunity against it.

    According to Chinese researchers, the flu has become more infectious to humans and needs to be watched closely in case it becomes a potential “pandemic virus.”

    Experts however said there is no imminent threat to mankind..

    A team of Chinese researchers looked at influenza viruses found in pigs from 2011 to 2018 and found a “G4” strain of H1N1 that has “all the essential hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus.”

    The team’s paper was published by the US journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

    Pig farm workers also showed elevated levels of the virus in their blood, the authors said, adding that “close monitoring in human populations, especially the workers in the swine industry, should be urgently implemented.”

    The recently emerged genotype 4 (G4) reassortant Eurasian avian-like (EA) H1N1 virus was found after testing over 30,000 swabs from pigs across 10 provinces including from samples that displayed respiratory symptoms.

    The study was conducted over seven years, and discovered virus strains that predominantly were from a variant categorised as G4.

    The G4 variant is of concern because its core is an avian influenza virus to which humans have no proven immunity.

    This is the reason researchers have called for anticipatory vaccines and preparation against G4 swine flu viruses.

    Called G4 EA H1N1, the swine flu strain bears genes similar to those in the virus that caused the 2009 flu pandemic, according to the study.

    The study found that 10.4 per cent of swine workers were positive for G4 virus, especially for participants from 18 years to 35 years old, who had 20.5 per cent seropositive rates, indicating that the predominant G4 virus has acquired increased human infectivity.

    The human infections indicate that the flu strain “possesses all of the essential hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus” and that it poses “a serious threat to human health,” the researchers concluded.

    Zoonoses, diseases that jump from animals to humans, are one of the most common sources of dangerous new infections.

    Ebola, HIV, and the coronavirus itself are all examples of deadly pathogens that originated in animals.

    The study highlights the risks of viruses crossing the species barrier into humans, especially in densely populated regions in China, where millions live in close proximity to farms, breeding facilities, slaughterhouses and wet markets.

    The coronavirus that caused the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic is believed to have originated in horseshoe bats in southwest China and could have spread to humans via a seafood market in Wuhan, where the virus was first identified.

    The PNAS study said pigs are considered important “mixing vessels” for the generation of pandemic influenza viruses and called for “systematic surveillance” of the problem.

    China took action against an outbreak of avian H1N1 in 2009, restricting incoming flights from affected countries and putting tens of thousands of people into quarantine.

    The new virus identified in the study is a recombination of the 2009 H1N1 variant and a once prevalent strain found in pigs.

    But while it is capable of infecting humans, there is no imminent risk of a new pandemic, said Carl Bergstrom, a biologist at the University of Washington.

    “There’s no evidence that G4 is circulating in humans, despite five years of extensive exposure,” he said on Twitter after the paper’s publication.

    “That’s the key context to keep in mind.”

  • Rape now a pandemic in Nigeria – Atiku

    Rape now a pandemic in Nigeria – Atiku

    Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday, put a call to the family of late Uwa Omozuwa, who was raped and murdered by yet-to-be-identified persons.

    Atiku expressed his deepest condolences to the family.

    He, however, stated that rape is now a pandemic in Nigeria.

    Atiku added that it’s time to review laws on rape in the country.

    Atiku said: “I just spoke to the family of the late Uwa Omozuwa. I expressed my deepest condolences over her rape and murder. I feel their anguish. Sadly, rape is now a pandemic in our country.

    “It is time we reviewed the laws on rape to ensure that there are no escape routes in the investigation, prosecution, conviction, and adequate punishment for this heinous crime. -AA”