By Olakunle Olafioye
Preparations ahead of next year’s general elections are beginning to gather momentum amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the Coronavirus pandemic outbreak in the country in February 2020, the Nigerian government had shown more than passing interest in combating the virus, which has continued to wreak havoc across the globe.
Besides issuing and enforcing COVID-19 protocols and guidelines at both private and public settings, the government has also ensured that the nation intensifies efforts in ensuring that Nigeria defeats the plague, transiting from nationwide lockdown to partial lockdown and later to roll out en masse COVID-19 vaccines.
Official figure so far has shown that less than five per cent of the nation’s population had received at least one dose of the vaccine as of December 2021, leaving more than 95 per cent of the population unvaccinated at the end of last year.
However, the government has not relented in ensuring that Nigerians who are eligible for the vaccine get vaccinated as shortage of vaccine which dogged the mass vaccination exercise late last year has been addressed.
Similarly, governments at all levels are equally addressing the apathy threatening government’s efforts in combating the virus. But while the people have succeeded in foiling an attempt by the government to foist the vaccine on Nigeria, the government on the other hand is recording marginal success in fighting the apathy against the COVID-19 vaccination. For instance, ahead of December 1, 2021 deadline given to unvaccinated civil servants to get vaccinated or get prevented from gaining entry into their various offices, reports indicated that civil servants who had hitherto resisted the vaccine turned out en masse to get vaccinated, thereby swelling the number of Nigerians who have received the vaccine.
At private settings, where the government has been handicapped sort of in compelling the people to get vaccinated, measures have been put in place to slow down the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. For example, at religious gatherings adherence to social distancing is being enforced just as government’s special teams are monitoring compliance at both public and private schools as well as in other private institutions. For instance, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, last week announced that no individual would be allowed entry into its facilities nationwide, except they provide their COVID-19 vaccination card.
The examination body said that members of staff and visitors to its facilities must show their vaccination cards and an identification card to ensure that individuals do not provide vaccination cards that do not belong to them.
JAMB, in a subsequent clarification following claims that intending candidates for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, who are underage were making frantic efforts to get vaccinated with some even falsifying their age to be vaccinated just to access services at the Board’s facilities, said that candidates and visitors below the age of 18 years are not required to present COVID-19 vaccination cards before being granted access into JAMB examination halls and facilities.
Prior to the announcement by JAMB to make COVID-19 vaccination cards as a major requirement to gaining entry into its facilities, a statement released by the National Youth Service Corps had also stated that only fully vaccinated corps members would be allowed to participate in the scheme in this year. The Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, while addressing the 2021 Batch C Stream 11 set of corps members during a virtual meeting vowed that the NYSC would enforce strict adherence to non-pharmaceutical safety protocols of COVID-19.
Nigeria’s government efforts at stemming the spread of COVID-19 may, however, face a serious test soon as the nation is gradually getting into electioneering mode ahead of 2023 general elections.
Many concerned Nigerians are beginning to entertain fear over the possibility of spike in COVID-19 infections in the country. A public health expert, Dr Olatunbosun Gbolahan, said that the rowdy atmosphere during electioneering in Nigeria is capable of reversing the little progress the nation is making in fighting Coronavirus and called for caution from the political class in order not to throw the nation into a major health crisis.
According to him, “although there has been some controversy over the low rate of COVID-19 infections and the fatality figures we have been churning out since Nigeria recorded its first case almost two years ago, there is no doubt that we have been very lucky compared to some other countries where the Coronavirus has caused more damage.
Globally, the COVID-19 fatality figure is in the region of 5.6 million out of about 350 million confirmed cases. Of these figures, Nigeria has less than 300,000 confirmed cases with a little above 3,000 fatality. Having said that, I think we need to be careful as we go into next elections with political campaigns and rallies which are capable of bringing tens of thousands of people together at the same venue. This definitely calls for concern in view of the ravaging effect of the virus. Adherence to COVID-19 regulations at political gatherings will be almost impossible because I doubt if our politicians will ever come up with idea of using the guidelines that have been introduced at non-political gatherings.”
Reacting to the issue, Executive Director of Civil Liberty Organisation, Comrade Ibuchukwu wants politicians to ensure that COVID-19 guidelines are adhered to during campaigns and rallies not only as a way of safeguarding the lives of the people against the ravaging effect of the various, but also as a way of showing leadership by example.
According to him, “the politicians must play by the rule: they must respect the COVID-19 protocols. The COVID-19 regulation is one of the policies of the government and they must also respect and obey those guidelines. The implication of their failure to adhere to the protocols is that the citizens may no longer see reasons while they have to obey those protocols.”
Also speaking on the issue, a Christian cleric, Reverend Oladimeji Oladiran said that the political class in the country has a responsibility to express it’s concerns about the wellbeing of their people, noting that the response of the politicians to issues such as adherence to COVID-19 guidelines which emanated from the political leaders says a lot about what they profess.
“The outbreak of COVID-19 and the government’s response to the virus has brought about serious modifications in the ways we used to do our things. One of such changes is that we have been restricted to limit body or physical contacts at large gatherings, which has given rise to the adoption of virtual and online meetings. But I don’t see how the politicians will go about their electioneering activities without having to assemble crowds of people. Personally, I will like to see situations where political rallies and campaigns will be done virtually in obedience to the COVID-19 protocols and to avoid plunging the nation into deeper health problem after the elections,” he stated.