In the last few weeks, there has been series of denials, accusations and counter-accusations between state government officials and federal health authorities on whether COVID-19 exists in the two states of Kogi and Cross River.
Both states have been claiming that the virus has no place in their vicinities because of their proactive efforts. The position of the state governments has raised curiosity among Nigerians on whether the claims are true or not.
Despite the assurances, the Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Saka Haruna, disclosed that the state was under intense pressure to say otherwise by declaring that it had COVID-19 cases and vowed that it would not succumb to such pressure.
The commissioner alleged that the aim of those involved was to politicise the situation and discredit the high rating of the state on its health achievements as attested to by local and international observers.
The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, said Nigeria had lost fewer people to COVID-19 than to other serious national challenges such as Boko Haram, kidnapping, cattle rustling, road accidents, hunger and malaria.
The Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, has equally claimed that his state is free from COVID-19. Ayade suggested to the Federal Government to ensure that vaccine for the virus is obtained from antibodies of patients that recovered from the virus and that heavy investment should be deployed to research and vaccine production in Nigeria.
Contrary to the governor’s claim, an NGO, Efik Leadership Foundation (ELF), has insisted that there is evidence that COVID-19 exists in Cross River State even though the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has not officially announced any confirmed case.
The foundation averred that the state government had been “rejecting” COVID-19 testing, as there was enough anecdotal evidence to support the belief that cases of COVID-19 truly existed in the state.
What all states in the country should do is to join the Federal Government in taming the monster. Governors should ensure that the collection of samples becomes the responsibility of their governments. Not only that, they should intensify public enlightenment programmes on radio, television and town criers for massive campaign to the rural and community areas which are still either ignorant of the disease or hold the wrong perception that the disease is an affliction of the rich.
The positions of the Kogi and Cross River state governors require serious scrutiny. If it is true that the states have no cases of COVID-19, it is commendable, but they should indeed be confident and avoid being apprehensive of investigations by federal health officials.
By expecting the people to believe their governors’ claims without authentication by relevant bodies such as NCDC flouts the principles of natural justice as they cannot be the judges in their own cases (nemo judex in causa sua).
Meanwhile, if the state governments’claims are eventually not correct, then the governors would have done a great disservice to their people who they swore to protect and defend.
The truth is that there is a crisis of trust in leadership in Nigeria because of disappointments and failed promises in governance. The people appear to have little faith in their leaders. Lack of trust is what is playing out between the two state governments and federal authorities.
It is also the case between the people and government, who still question the existence of COVID-19. It is the same distrust that makes people believe that Kogi and Cross River state governments are either being economical with the truth or playing politics with the lives of their people.
– Adewale Kupoluyi writes from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State.
adewalekupoluyi@yahoo.co.uk
