LIKE COVID-19 VACCINE, LIKE INSECURITY

LIKE COVID-19 VACCINE, LIKE INSECURITY

The Kenyan government has ordered 24 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

This is a very small country compared to Nigeria. It has also been able to a large extent contain its own Islamist insurgency. As a result, Kenya is now relatively safer than Nigeria, which has earned it the confidence of the international community. In fact, today, Kenya is a key leader in the East African sub-region which determines much of their foreign affairs.

The UK, US, other European and Latin American and Asian countries had set the pace in the race to scoop up the anti-Corona-19 vaccines they can buy to inoculate their citizens. This is the latest trend worldwide towards containing the deadly virus.

What is Nigeria’s Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 doing in this regard? Kenya has risen to the occasion by being proactive – going by the current international scramble for the vaccine.

But, of course, as usual, the Nigerian government will wait till the last minute before it starts a desperate search for the remnants of the vaccines after all of the world has accessed them. And then, they will tell Nigerians that they have had to spend billions more because of scarcity. Which will be another avenue of siphoning state resources for the benefit of a few who have already fed fat from the pandemic so far.

Unfortunately, this is the way the Buhari government and its top military brass have so far prevaricated on the Islamist insurgency and banditry in Nigeria.

As a result, a few Nigerians have become billionaires from the spiralling violence in our country, to the detriment of hapless Nigerians. The Kankara abduction of innocent school boys is the latest case in point.

Can a government that has so woefully betrayed the social contract between it and the people on security be trusted to deliver this vaccine to Nigerians without, as usual, padding the costs?

The consensus among Nigerians is that, just as it’s happening in the security department, bringing the COVID-19 vaccine to citizens may most likely go the same way as the lost fight against Boko Haram and banditry.

Nigerians strongly believe that it will be business as usual. And, sadly, as this unfolds, President Buhari will be happily tending his fat cows at Daura.

Christ Gyang, chrisgyang01@gmail.com

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