As the world is fighting the deadly coronavirus pandemic, every country is putting in its best to tackle the spread of the disease as well as provide the needed support to ease the tension among its citizens. In Nigeria, poor democratic governance is the major challenge hindering the sensitisation against corona virus disease.
Lack of quality representation and cordial relationship between the people and government is bringing different dimensions in the process. The question always comes to mind: do Nigerians even believe in Covid-19 disease at all? This is because the significant population that occupies the country is left behind wallowing and struggling with abject poverty, unemployment, diseases and extreme hunger.
The government neglected not only the health sector but the entire sectors of the economy. Many still believe that the government created the virus to get more money from the western world and oppress the poor masses.
Looking at international best practice against Covid-19, one can agree with me that the average Nigerian that is not enjoying any benefit from his state but hears about distribution of all forms of palliatives across the world and thinks of how government asked him to stay at home with no constant drinking water, electricity or aid to his doorstep can’t trust government.
The continued widening of the gap between government and people had created mistrust even before the emergence of Covid-19. Most people believe that people in power are interested more in representing their pocket than the ordinary man on the street. And with this issue on ground, people are thinking that government is just using the pandemic to get money from the western world.
Another effect of this gap is the atmosphere created for merchants of fake news and misinformation as a result of government’s inability to communicate to the people effectively on the pandemic, especially at the grassroots level. Purveyors of fake news are busy misleading people both on the existence of the virus and stands of the government.
All these have created doubt and continue to fuel fears in the minds of the people on whether or not the virus is really in existence.
Inasmuch as I blame some Nigerians for not believing the government, more blame is on the government for sustaining continuous lies. No matter what Nigerian leaders will tell masses, they will not trust them. Nigerians have been dying for so long as a result of contaminated water, preventable diseases, hunger and unemployment; so, what do you expect from Nigerians while they are experiencing worse than corona virus in the country?
Until Nigerian leaders provide the masses with good health care system, security of lives and properties, sound education system and job opportunities to the teeming unemployed youths, which will draw people closer to government and its policies, the masses, especially those without democratic dividends, will never believe in Covid-19 or any of government’s policies. This is because government has failed to perform its functions.
Idris Mohammed,
Sokoto
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and then