’Tunji Ajibade (tunjioa@yahoo.com 08036683657)
One of President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointees enthused over a matter the other day and I stated it was misdirected (see, “Ihekweazu’s enthusiasm is misdirected”, The PUNCH, May 8, 2020). On the other hand, the President had every reason to show enthusiasm regarding a particular matter lately. He didn’t, thereby making me wonder if I was the only Nigerian who had such interpretation of the matter in question. I shall return to this point.
Moments to enthuse in the life of any nation are few and far between. With the many challenges that confront Nigeria, moments to applaud as citizens and feel proud of ourselves are rare to come by. When such a moment comes, it’s important that the father of a nation sees it and leads it. This is because, saddled with so many challenges, even the father of a nation has fewer opportunities to rejoice. I refer to moments when he has reasons to declare himself proud of fellow citizens, moments when he has the attention of the entire nation, moments when he has everyone on his side however briefly that may be. There are few of such moments in different nations across the world. Nigeria has had its own historic moments. However, it is rare and I expect that when it comes, the political leadership seizes it, using it to galvanise the nation.
One came lately in the midst of the COVID-19 battle and I wished the President positioned himself at the very centre of it. Why should it matter? In the middle of the mourning the COVID-19 pandemic had caused in the US, President Donald Trump seized every opportunity that presented itself to transmit the few good news there were to his nation. Recently, he personally announced the release of an American prisoner in Iran. He also announced the potential of a drug made in his country to treat COVID-19. One Nigerian official enthused about it as though the drug were discovered in Nigeria and it was President Buhari who announced it. But in view of how medics dismissed every solution Nigerians said they had for COVID-19, I wasn’t impressed by the enthusiasm the said official displayed.
Recently, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 said three out of the numerous claims of COVID-19 herbal solutions had been validated and forwarded to relevant agencies for further processing. I thought this news was monumental, enough for President Buhari to stand behind a podium and proudly take all the credit for such feat achieved by his people. Why? For the first time, the Federal Ministry of Health attests that some herbs have the capabilities which the makers claim. When finally approved, it will be the first time a major drug comes out of Nigeria. Such claims in the past had ended in controversy with past health ministers maliciously and off-handedly dismissing what our people made. There’s a change under the headship of Dr. Osagie Enahire. In case someone still doesn’t see why I should be enthusiastic about this, I shall explain. Nigerians have been starved of good news for too long. There were occasions in our recent history when I wondered why Nigerians always had to be subjected to so much sorrow. The time when the death of the former first lady and wife of President Olusegun Obasanjo happened was one. There was the passing away of President Umar Yar’Adua. I recall making the comment when it happened that, for the moment, Nigerians should be allowed to mourn their leader, and the day after, his successor could continue with governance. (See, “When a gentleman-president died”, Sunday Trust, May 9, 2010). Then, came the time when President Buhari was on sick bed. I was fervently hopeful for him. I didn’t want Nigerians to be subjected to another round of sorrow.
But the political leaders haven’t been the only reason Nigerians experience sorrow. Such moments have persisted since 2009 when insurgents in the North-East began to kill our people. It’s ongoing. In the face of this and the gruesome killings perpetrated by bandits in all the states across the north, we need news that could bring smile to our faces. I felt that moment when Nigerians came up with some herbs with regard to COVID-19 treatment was one of such. I wished the President was made aware of how important such a moment was, advised to announce it by himself, and thereby make us feel proud of ourselves as a people.
It wasn’t the only thing the President would have used such a moment to announce. The Nigerian Air Force has been showcasing some of the innovations made by its officers. Each time I saw those young innovators on TV, I wished the President were there to pat them on the back, mention their names to the nation, and say some words of encouragement to them. Does anyone realise how much it spurs a citizen to greater patriotism when his President mentions his name? American presidents use this to great effect. It makes the citizens want to do more for their nation because they know the president would get to hear and commend them in the hearing of all Americans. Here, some young Nigerians did a few things with ventilators the other day and medics attested what they did was commendable. To some, these may appear to be little things. But they are only when one doesn’t realise the power in the images projected as the President of a nation identifies with citizens who use their minds to do good for their country. (These are people who do not use their intelligence negatively as scammers, digital fraudsters and the rest of it). Equally promoted is the image of the political leadership that is on top of the situation. The president needs to be seen to be in charge and aware of what is going on in every corner of his country. Making announcements about what Nigerians have innovated at a time like this is useful in this regard.
That the President announces the herbs which the health ministry says have promises in regard to COVID-19 is important to me for the following reasons. There’s no denying the fact that our people have cures for all manner of ailments. Some western-trained medics may badmouth homegrown medicines, but they haven’t said these medicines don’t work. I witnessed an event as a child which made me realise that even if our people weren’t educated in western ways, they knew what herbs to use to cure what. At barely five years of age, my mother took me along to visit a section of her family members in a more rural setting. This location was about 40 kilometres away from the nearest hospital. I was standing opposite my mother exchanging mother-child little banters when her eyeballs suddenly rolled and she fell where she sat. I knew something wasn’t right so I shouted. My mother’s elder brother was around. He instructed that a bottle should be brought from his room and the herb in it was administered to my mother. I stood there watching as she opened her eyes, fully recovered.
This experience is enough evidence for me that our people traditionally know what to use for which ailments. With this conviction, I’m concerned that some western-trained medics in Nigeria have been dismissing what our people make as possible drugs for COVID-19, citing what the WHO says or doesn’t say. Meanwhile, when a drug was mentioned in the US lately, they rejoiced. This was the kind of mentality that could have been repudiated if the President himself had taken the podium to announce the herbs which the health ministry approved for further validation.
As reported, Enahire had to personally take interest, inviting Nigerians to present and defend their herbs. We have agencies that should do this but they don’t. We know most government appointees won’t stress themselves promoting what Nigerians make; they are contented serving as middlemen to manufacturers abroad. By climbing the podium to identify with the outcome of the health ministry’s effort, the President can make it clear that he’s more favourably disposed when officials promote what Nigerians innovate. As such (once those COVID-19 herbs are certified) I call on him to personally announce it with all shades of pride that Nigerians have done something laudable.
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