The COVID-19 pandemic is exposing a lot of things—some long-held perceptions and myths, perhaps even ‘truths’ (about people and countries) are being put to the test. It’s safe to say some of these myths are not holding up. One of such perceptions/truths/myths is of the USA as the greatest nation on earth. Never mind that Donald Trump campaigned to Make America Great Again, which would mean that there was a long period America wasn’t really great but they didn’t allow the rest of the world to believe otherwise? But I digress.
Anyhow, because of the coronavirus pandemic, all the dysfunction in the American system now stands out in bold relief— the lack of free or even subsidised healthcare, racial inequalities, gap between the have and the have-nots, etc.
As of the time of writing this report, America had the world’s highest number of COVID-19 deaths, at 52, 000 and counting. Frontline workers are crying for protective kits like they’re in some backward third world country. The US also lags behind most developed countries when it comes to testing. Will the real America stand up?
Conversely, there are others no one expected to do well, that may have been perceived as failures pre-COVID-19, but who have risen to the challenge. In Nigeria, there’s the example of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. A few months before the pandemic, many had written him off as a ‘dud on arrival’. Now, many Lagosians are hailing his leadership during these coronavirus times. This is not to say there aren’t gaps. But the pre-COVID-19 Sanwo-Olu will definitely doff his fila (hat) for this ‘new’ Sanwo-Olu.
The case of the Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, is different from Sanwo-Olu’s. Having occupied the office since 2011, Cuomo has also been New York Attorney-General and had served first as assistant, then Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Community Planning and Development under former President Bill Clinton. So, he’s a veteran in public service. Not to mention that his father, Mario Cuomo, was a three-term Governor of New York. Yet, it has taken Andrew Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic for him to shine. Many find his daily televised press briefings informative, full of empathy and humanity. When you consider that New York City is the epicentre of the coronavirus in the US— with over 271,590 confirmed cases and 16,162 deaths— one can appreciate the odds against Cuomo. Some women now say they’re ‘crushing on’ Cuomo. Comedian and host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, also now defines himself as a ‘Cuomosexual’.
Cuomo shines extra bright when compared with President Donald Trump, who in televised daily press briefings, is the perfect example of how not to lead during a pandemic. Initially reluctant to take COVID-19 as anything but an effort by the opposition to burst his ‘booming’ economy, Trump was content to continue his campaign rallies up till March 2 and would perhaps have continued until it became obvious he had to stop. Thus, his daily press briefings have become his new campaign platform, where he belittles and insults reporters or anyone who catches his fancy; sometimes, barely coherent. His obsession with his predecessor, Barack Obama, means he would always find ways to drag him into everything. Imagine blaming someone who left office in 2015 for COVID-19 (so named for the year it was discovered).
For those familiar with Trump, these briefings are not disappointing. Still, there have been far too many cringe-worthy moments. On Thursday, April 23, while reacting to research findings that the sun, heat and bleach could kill the virus, President Trump added a twist— “So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous—whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light— and I think you said that hasn’t been checked but you’re going to test it. Then I said, supposing you brought the light inside of the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you’re going to test that too. Sounds interesting. Then, I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? So, it would be interesting to check that. I’m not a doctor. But I’m, like, a person that has a good you-know-what.”
So, where does our own President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) fit in all this? He’s been largely MIA. Nonetheless, as it concerns earlier myths/perceptions/truths, is there anyone who’s surprised he’s not holding daily press briefings? I am not! In any case, as we can see from the Trump example, it’s one thing to hold regular press briefings, it’s another to be like Andrew Cuomo. Would you watch daily presidential press briefings by President Muhammadu Buhari from Aso Villa?
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