Amidst the revelation that Nigeria had conducted a dismal 11,426 Covid-19 tests and recorded 1,337 confirmed cases,250 recoveries and 40 deaths, President Buhari’s address to the nation formed the main talking point of Monday 27th April.

The Buhari administration’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic has been very disappointing and asides the pronouncement of 50% of health care workers’ basic salaries as hazard allowance, nothing else was inspiring about his speech.Below are some of the highlights.

EXPERTS PROJECTED 2,000 CASES IN FIRST MONTH AFTER INDEX CASE

This may have been a plan hatched by President Buhari’s handlers to absolve him of blame for leaving it too late to shut our borders and portray his handling of the crisis as efficient.When the Minister of Health, Prof.Osagie Enahire said on March 13 precisely that the second Covid-19 case; an off-shoot of the index case who flew in from Italy was testing negative,there were no other confirmed cases and both were scheduled to be released in the following days.We were coronavirus-free.

The 3rd case did not contract it from any of the 2 cases or their contacts,she flew into the country from the UK on the very day the Minister was making that announcement and was confirmed positive after she developed symptoms days later in self-isolation.If Buhari had restricted travels from the Covid-19 hot spots or banned entry totally after the index case,Nigeria wouldn’t be in this mess.

No jankara ‘model’ told Buhari we were looking at 2,000 cases after the first month.I don’t think anyone fully aware of the facts on ground would believe that.

If he had shut down entry after the very first case like some of us were calling on him to do considering the quality of health care available,level of enlightenment and the drastic effects locking down the country like we were seeing abroad would have on the average nigerian, we would have been coronavirus free and going about our normal businesses.

BUHARI IS TAKING KANO FOR GRANTED

When some scary numbers started emanating from Kano after its index case,the Presidential task force said it was sending a team to the state but so far,the 2 week lock down is the only thing indicating the Federal Government appreciates the special treatment Kano should get.The most populous state in the country has been tipped by some to become the epicentre of the Covid 19 global pandemic.It not only has just one test centre,that too was shut down for days because it got contaminated.

The Presidential Task Force stayed mute during that period while Kano’s next door neighbours,Kaduna whose population is less than half its size was opening its second test centre.

The Kano state government had requested N15bn from the Federal Government to help tackle the crisis before Buhari’s speech and his promise to assist with ‘human,material and technical resources’ instead still depicts him as not fully grasping the sensitivity of the situation on ground.First,the state needs at least 2 more test centres.

READ MORE: https://thebelltimesng.com/2020/04/29/4-key-highlights-of-president-buharis-uninspiring-address/