By Mayowa Olumuyiwa
The subject of people and government for a long time has been a global subject that is yet to be fully explored. The modern world as at today had evolved into a human centered space. From the epic period of Fascism, Nazim, Communism, Theocracy, Parliamentary and in most recent years Democracy, especially in the African countries, Nigeria, the most populous black nation on earth has had its fair share in the polity.
For a country that is blessed with so much of crude oil reserves, agricultural produce, amidst other mineral and natural resources, it is not debatable to submit that Nigerians- her people had been greatly underserved by her leaders since the exit of her colonial masters in 1960 and her attainment of a republican state in 1963.
This is one profound era in the world’s history when it seem like every nationale looks up to their government to ease the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic as demanded by the social contract between the government and the governed.
Much of palliatives, relief packages and the likes are being made available to citizens in some countries that have such responsible leadership in place.
Since the arrival of the pandemic in Nigeria, the government had been indicted on several issues ranging from marginalisation of resources provided for palliatives to Nigerians, fear of possible misappropriation of funds received from donors, and most apparently the issue of playing politics with the safety of the lives of the people.
Some who spoke to our correspondence in the streets bear their minds on a few matters as touching the ingenuity of the Nigerian government at all levels to cushion the effects of the pandemic across the country.
While alot of persons expects the country’s leadership to give relief in terms of cash since they were made to stay home in the bid to prevent further spread and infections of the pandemic, some others are only asking the Buhari-led government to distribute food as all they need is to overcome the hunger pangs ocassioned by the self isolation and stay at home rule of the government.
It would be recalled that other nations like the United Kingdom and the United States of America gave out cash palliatives to their citizens through a social security system with verifiable database.
The question however is how standardized is the system in Nigeria to accommodate such dispensing of fund.
Are the records available?
Does the government have an accurate and verifiable statistics of her citizens?
These are bugging questions waiting for answers.
In an effort to meet some of these yearnings, controversies had trailed the means and processes employed by the federal government of Nigeria on this.
A 70-year-old woman in the Aujara area of Jahun Local Government of Jigawa State took part in the line -up of people who got the palliative token distributed by the federal government of Nigeria for vulnerable and indigent persons under her social security program aimed at reducing the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
While the distribution was in progress, aged Madam Isibu was called by the officials taking the roll-call of recipients.
This again calls for concern according to the aforementioned instances. What mechanism was used to arrive at her name in the list, among many other underprivileged citizens?
She however answered her name and stepped forward to receive her portion of the stipend.
Consequently, she got extremely emotional and was shedding tears at the receipt of the cash.
In an effort to console her, the nearby government officials quickly ferried her to a nearby shelter to have her further consoled.
In her response as gathered by our correspondence, the aged woman, Mariam Isibu is a grandmother who is left in the care of indigent grandchildren.
The woman while recounting her life ordeals, lamented the gory experience she is perpetually subjected to while hoping for an intervention from her strikenly helpless state.
In her words, “I have never touched that amount in my life as much as I tried to. I lost my husband many years ago and I have since been the only one taking care of my Children. To worsen my condition, I have been taking care of my grandchildren since I lost my only child seven years ago. I don’t have anyone that could give me such money, so I find it a surprise to receive such from the government”.
She however commended the gesture.
While reflecting on her touching story, on the contrary, one can only imagine how many individuals are still very much incapacitated and unable to even make half of the stipend being doled out to the masses by the government. This is apart from several other group of persons who are apparently left out of the entire distribution of the federal government-powered palliative which had been allegedly fraught with selective and highly segmented approach.
It would be recalled that the distribution since it began under the watch of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is only being done in some part of the north. While this phenomenal last, many other interest groups and bodies across the country had called for an inclusive approach which will make the palliative accessible to other places and address the basic needs of the targeted masses.
For instance, the woman in the above story only got noticed because the distribution took place in her area. Suffice it to say that there are similar Nigerians with more pathetic and pitiable cases. It is therefore no doubt that the stakeholders involved in the determination of those who are categorised under the indigent and vulnerable must ensure transparency, patriotism and civil accountability in the process.
The statistics must be well accounted for beyond political show offs that often surface in most government programs which are originally meant to be People-oriented.
A similar occurrence is the case of a mob thronging to have a share of bread packed in the bus around Agege axis in Lagos. The palpable effect of abject hunger and poverty readily attest to this phenomenon.
People have been told about observance of social distance and the likes.
The question again resounds, how do you tell a hungry man who is angry already not to bypass those measures against covid-19 in the face of apparent bread after several periods of forceful hunger strike.
Imagine the man who only depends on market activities to feed himself. What becomes of such individuals when the markets are now under locks and keys ?
How do we reconcile the case of a taxi driver whose car had been parked for newly a month now due to the lock down rules. How does such a man survive the pressure of catering for his family when all his livelihood depends on taxi business that is now on hold ?
While we must encourage citizens to obey the measures put in place by the country’s leadership in this crucial season, of much importance also is the expectation for the constituted authorities all levels to live up to their roles.
It would be a rape of social justice if every single Nigerian do not get a chance to live above the challenges brought up by the global pandemic.
Asking whether the country has the wherewithal, the answer is a capital YES. All it takes is a willful resolve of the constituted authorities and institutions of power.
A closer look at Madam Isibu’s story quite mirrors a lot of similar cases of poverty in Nigeria amidst wealth in the country.
It is hoped that the discoveries in this period of pandemic will be geared towards birthing a new Nigeria where the gap created by joblessness, hunger, penury and poverty can be bridged.
It is quite disturbing that the period of pandemic that should further strengthen the resolve of a country like Nigeria had only made more divisions and less of faith in the common course due to imbalanced service meted out to her citizenry by her leadership .
The whole world watches on with great expectations to see how the giant of Africa will re-write her history through this turning point of the covid-19 global pandemic.
