By Olawale Olaleye
I’m sure some Nigerians, who are still battling the “Whiteman Complex” will never agree with this. For such fellows, the world powers, as we have come to accept, top in everything.
That may be true to an extent. However, as at today and as far as the war against Coronavirus is concerned, I believe Nigeria is very well prepared, better than even the US and the UK.
A relative, who travelled to the US and the UK recently and returned last week, was excited about Nigeria’s approach to the killer virus than these two countries.
She told me that as far as the borders of the two countries were concerned, it was “a free pass” of the normal border protocol. No extra efforts were taken with respect to the virus.
However, as she boarded her flight back to Nigeria, every passenger on the flight was handed what she described as a “detailed self-declaration form”, where every personal information and travel history were filled to the satisfaction of the government.
And upon arriving the country, they all filed out in two lines, whilst some health personnel at the aiport checked their eyes through a camera-like device after collecting the forms before proceeding to passport control.
All of these, she claimed were not done in the US and the UK and she queried their level of preparedness for the killer virus.
In fact, she said the feeling abroad was that Coronavirus was a hoax after all, because no measures were taken at all.
Well, some may not see this as a big deal, but I do. And honestly, if we don’t tell our own stories in the best positive ways, no one would do so for us. Besides, this is telling it as it is without solicitation.
I can only commend the Nigerian governments at all levels for taking the initiative as quickly as possible and also enjoin them to improve in some of the obvious areas.
In the words of @mrmacaroni, I say to our government, “You’re doing well. “Fantabulous! Say oin to Coronavirus. Oin!”
•Olaleye is a Lagos-based media practitioner.
