Today I write in fear,
like every other residents of the only black continent in the world. Our world
is ravaged by a dreadful holocaust and our existence under extreme threat.
Africa, as the world knows it may soon become a park of flirt and death. The
over one billion men and women, boys and girls, young and old may soon become
extinct.
Continue..
Continue..
Ebola, the now most
dreadful disease in the world has found succor within our realm and with the
growing concern around the world and Africa being fingered as the breathing
nest for this virus, it is only a matter of time before we become a threat to
world peace which may force the Super Powers into taking decisive action against
the continent.
Around the world
already there have been growing demands to alienate countries with outbreak of
Ebola. Borders are being closed, Airport under immense scrutiny, Visa
application procedures under review and in some cases (see ‘South Korea denies
3 Nigerian students visit’) outright rejection. While the sole responsibility
of every government is to protect the lives and properties of its citizens, it
goes without saying that such decisions must be tempered with caution. In the
process of keeping our countries safe we are gradually heading towards
prejudicism.
The successful outbreak
and spread of Ebola today is a result of the nonchalant, selfish and aloof
behavior of African countries to one another. Late last year when reports of
the disease became lethal and life threatening in Guinea and Sierra Leone, what
measure(s) or step(s) did fellow African countries like Nigeria,
Liberia, Ghana, Togo, Mali, Cote d’ivoire, Cameroon take to assist these
countries? As usual, we didn’t give a damn; our brothers and sisters may as
well suffer and die but once we are unhurt is less our business!
Lets believe we decided
to ‘mind our business’; it would have made more sense if we had engaged on
massive civil education on the disease and create contingent plans into truly
safeguarding our territories. But as African as we are, we went to bed with
noise of our neigbours house on fire hoping on divine that the wind of inferno
doesn’t locate ours. The case of the outbreak in Nigeria is more pathetic than
unfortunate. First, a man with nearly fourteen days active symptoms from an
Ebola prone country successfully boarded a flight en route Lagos, Nigeria
unchecked. The airport staff and medical team relatively uninformed and
perpetually unaware of the symptoms of the virus rushed unprotected to give a
helping hand to the victim when he collapsed at the airport. The receiving
hospital and doctor with little knowledge about the disease ‘nakedly’ attended
to the victim and the rest is history.
Africa has come a long
way. Amidst the thorns of scramble and partition, slavery, neo-colonialism and
apartheid we rose to a continent of choice. Our continent now has a place in
the UN Security Council; Nigeria the presumed capital of the continent made the
MINT classification and South Africa a member of the G20 group. But beyond the
tales of success our continent continues to wallow in extreme poverty and
dearth orchestrated by corrupt public office holders who would rather take
possession of the latest Private Jet than invest in the health sector, leaders
with short or no foresight! Leaders who do not see the need for Africa to grow
in research and technology believing that the dependence on foreign countries
and their conditional aids is enough. Alas, Ebola is an African disease which
means foreign countries may not be so moved into urgently producing cure and
vaccine.
Africa must realize we
are alone in this war against Ebola. Our greedy leaders must come to terms that
their lives are also under threat. There is nothing so delicious in bats and
monkeys if not for poverty! The governments must immediately create a welfare
package to feed the nation, especially people in the rural areas. Massive
education and enlightenment program should be embarked upon with jingles on radio
and television. Rural communities, most of whom are oblivious to the disease
must be reached out to. Primary and Secondary schools should also be visited
and informed with a strategy that will create minimal panic and discrimination.
Outright closure of borders and airspace against fellow African countries as
Ghana did should not be an option, what we should focus on is screening
individuals willing to travel to and fro.
We (all African
countries either affected or not) must unite to fight this plague. It is high
time Africa solved its own problem. Only Africa can solve African problems. It
goes beyond setting up committee of friends and associate to further siphon
public funds. African countries must declare an immediate emergency in the
research sector. Brothers and Sisters far away in Europe, America, Asia and
Middle East with vast experience in medical and scientific research must come
home. The humble abode of the black race is under attack and together we must
stand and fight.
Adekoya Boladale is a political scientist and scholar on good governance, a social commentator and consultant on political and intra governmental affairs. He is the Convener, Advocacy for Better Leadership (ABEL), Nigeria. ______________________________________________________________
Adekoya Boladale wrote
via adekoyaboladale@gmail.com.
Please engage on twitter @adekoyabee and Facebook www.facebook.com/adekoyabee
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