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An auspicious week this is: The virus’ direction will be clearer in the next few days.
The indicators in the last few days are, consistent with this column’s position, not encouraging. After 16 new cases twice daily, 14 was recorded yesterday (Sunday). Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja, are on lockdown.
Beyond the legal question “is it the President’s power to lock down states?” other questions are being asked: are we testing enough? What is the position with the thousands being traced after contact with those who tested Positive? Why are countries evacuating their citizens – do they, as usual, know more about us than we do? Just as the stoppage of flights should have taken place weeks before, the lockdown is coming weeks late. Now, we are here.
We thank God, and congratulate the corporate world, for the various donations directly to the state governments and for health facilities here and there. But now, we must move beyond that: we need our best hands, both in public and private practice. CACOVID (Coalition Against Covid-19), after its success in bringing together some private sector players, must now coalesce the private sector with those in the civil service. We cannot overstress this: we are in this together.
While clearly constrained by ‘political correctness’, Health Minister Dr. Osagie Ehanire sounded lucid on television yesterday. Indeed, this piece’s title is borrowed from him. Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, DG, NCDC, seems round a peg in the right hole. Our best minds in strategy, logistics, finance, etc shouldn’t wait to be called upon to join them.
Do Something Positive Don’t Allow Corona Completely Control Your Live!
In that straight-from-the-hip response to U.S President Donald Trump’s voiced plans to relax lockdowns and get the U.S back to work by Easter, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director, since 1984, of the U.S National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said “You don’t determine the timeline, the virus determines the timeline.”
As true as that is, we cannot allow this virus totally control us. Do something positive: write out plans for post-Corona, start that book, poem, or letter you always had in your head, design that app, learn a skill online, register for that career-enhancing course. Mend your spirit, marriage, and home. Just do something. Me? While observing the rules on hygiene and movement, am already looking beyond Corona. Writing after-the-storm plans, building my spirit man through increased fasting and praying, and wait for it – growing a beard.
What will you do?
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