29/02/20
[post-marguee]
By Livinus Elcon-Emereonye
**Blissful Ignorance And Coronavirus fear*
It could go for a bestseller movie what people are doing in the name of Coronavirus.
Few hours and days of the virus being identified in Nigeria courtesy of the “Italian” visitor, the cyberspace and indeed the geographical entity called Nigeria had never remained the same.
The prices of some medical consumables have gone up by more than 1000% creating along with it artificial scarcity – and the dealers/traders cashed in on this to make billions! Is it an answered prayer for business breakthrough and success? The Chinese are everywhere in the markets to mop up whatever quantity of such items they can get.
Apart from medical consumables and pharmaceuticals, alcohol is on high demand. Some people especially the street urchins and uninformed thugs are not only drinking to stupor but they also wash their faces and possibly rub their bodies with alcohol just to prevent being infected by Coronavirus!
As usual, the religious institutions are not left behind. Some religious leaders have started making claims, prophesying that they can deal with the virus spiritually.
And of cause, the cure-all traditional healers will soon join the cure claim race.
But while fear rages and the management tempo increases, it seems nothing solid is being done in preparation for a possible Coronavirus epidemics.
As a consumer nation, can we learn anything from this. With an import based economy, how does the future look for us?
What does it take manufacture some of these things locally?
It’s high time we looked inward and redefine our priorities.
Now is the time to put on our thinking cap and do the needful.
Pharmaceutically but more as a public health concern, we can collaborate for the sake of humanity and save the world… Now is the time.
– Livy-Elcon Emereonye
29.02.20
Dara Network TV 