COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN BONNY: RESPONSIBILITY OF STAKEHOLDERS

Following the official press statement by the Executive Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area on 30th May, 2020 confirming that the Coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19 has finally made a landfall in Bonny, I was approached by some well-meaning Bonny sons and daughters in diaspora to prepare to share my thoughts as a stakeholder via a Facebook Live Video Chat on Bonny Youth Federation (BYF360) page, not as a medical expert nor a frontline participant in the Government’s efforts at stemming the spread of the virus but purely as a stakeholder in the Bonny Kingdom Project.

I consented with a few caveats: No blame game; No name calling; No political statements; to all these, the promoters, Okoloama Good Hearts (OGH), led by Mr. Redd Awanta and Tbb Tams agreed. Unfortunately owing to challenges of internet connectivity the discussion didn’t go well as planned. Given the urgency and extreme importance of the planned discussion, I decided to put out my thoughts here on for all to see, maybe it may be of help to our Bonny Kingdom residents as we gear up for the days ahead.

It is no longer news that on 11th of March, 2020 the world including our nation Nigeria was shocked to hear the World Health Organisation (WHO) announce the outbreak of a novel coronavirus otherwise called (COVID-19) pandemic. At the last count, Sunday, May 31, 2020 at 22.55hrs, the virus has reached two hundred and fifteen nations of the world, affecting six million, two hundred and forty-five thousand, six hundred and ninety-eight (6,245,698) persons globally with over three hundred and seventy-three thousand, three hundred and forty-six (373,346) deaths; while in Nigeria, over nine thousand, eight hundred and fifty-five (9,855) persons have so far been affected, leaving two hundred and seventy-three (273) dead according to National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

In Rivers State it has affected 204 and 13 deaths recorded. Experts advised that we need not panic because most cases will be mild, and recovery usually spontaneous; that only about 5 percent of cases will be life-threatening. Death rates appear to be around 1-2 percent. Persons with underlying health conditions and the elderly are mostly at risk.

I must at this juncture state that what really got me worried and agreeing to speak on COVID-19, was my several visits to the Bonny Cemetery to bury loved ones within one week and the fact that many loved ones were presenting symptoms that the British Association of Otorhinolaryngology (study of diseases of ear, nose and throat) had published a statement in March stating that “Anyone with loss of smell or taste to self-isolate for seven days to prevent the potential spread of the disease” The  experts further warned that young people could likely become secret carriers of COVID-19 without presenting the more commonly recognized symptoms of fever and coughing.

My talk was expected to centre on basically, now that we have two (2) confirmed cases in Bonny from samples of five (5) sick persons taken, what actions can we start taking as a people. I deliberately grouped two broad categories of Stakeholders: Governments (Federal, State and Local)/ Corporate Bodies and Traditional Leadership Structure.

GOVERNMENTS/CORPORATE BODIES & TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS:

Given that the two confirmed cases may not have travel history of visiting the Wuhan City, China where the pandemic initially broke out, it means Bonny is experiencing Community Spread which is usually very difficult to trace, track and isolate. It will be advisable to undertake to do the following urgently:

1. State and Local Government to consider locking down the LGA for two-weeks and strictly ensure movements within and outside are essential.

• Set up an Emergency 24/7 Help desk manned by trained persons with phones numbers;

• LGA with the support of the Traditional Institutions urgently in pidgin and our dialects intensify public enlightenment campaign of COVID-19 Protocols to all the nooks and crannies of our Kingdom. Spreading the message of De-stigmatization of infected persons in order to give sick persons confidence to freely take the test;

• Federal, State and LGA, working with corporate bodies in Bonny, carry out door-to-door as well as village-to-village distribution of palliatives to poor and vulnerable households that includes; foodstuffs, sanitary supplies, washable face masks (2 persons), basic medicines, etc.

• With support of the Federal Government and our corporate citizens procure and step up COVID-19 Testing Booths like the one designed by the founder of the Flying Doctors, Dr. Ola Brown within cluster areas of the 12 wards of the LGA considering the remote nature of most communities and rural settings and start carrying out intensive testing;

• Federal and State Government to consider and urgently engage the services of Hydrocarbon and Water Pollution scientists to test air, soil, pipe-borne water and sea water samples from the area for pollutants and impurities;

• LGA authority and COVID-19 Taskforce to ensure that all persons on essential services are issued with the relevant passes;

• Given that the test for COVID-19 may possibly throw up some infected persons, FG, State Government and Corporate bodies to consider expanding the existing Isolation/Treatment Centre set up at the Bonny General Hospital from the present capacity;

• State and LGA authorities to urgently engage and train Contact Tracing and Monitoring Ad-hoc Personnel to move through the nooks and crannies of the 12 Wards of the Kingdom to trace and track down contacts with infected persons, facilitate testing, self-isolation or quarantine;

1. LG to strictly enforce the rules of how many passengers, Keke, Okada, Buses and Taxis are expected to carry and observing the use of face masks if essential during the Lockdown;

INDIVIDUALS/FAMILY:

At the centre of curbing the spread of COVID-19 are the individual and family unit’s responsibilities. Individuals and families must immediately stop acting like it is still business as usual. All the stipulated WHO/NCDC Protocols of the fight against the spread of COVID-19 Must be obeyed without failing. Such Protocol includes:

1. Staying at Home if not on essential service;

2. Washing of Hands with soap and running water for 20 second & Use of Alcohol based Sanitizers; Not touching your face, nose, mouth and ear

3. Compulsory use of Face masks particularly when in public;

4. Maintaining physical Distancing of not less than 6 feet when outside while sustaining social connections with loved ones;

5. Encourage all sick persons with the identified symptoms of intense coughing, flu, shortness of breath, and the latest loss of sense of smell and taste to seek medical attention using the Emergency Help Desk phone numbers or report to the Traditional leadership structure;

6.  If you Must go out to buy or sell anything ensure all money used are washed, exposed to dry using garri to cover the paper money to dry completely;

7. Ensure all plastic bags from shopping are discarded immediately arriving home, all clothing peeled off and washed including washing all the washable purchases, washable face masks, expose all items that cannot be washed under the sun. You can add yours.

Finally, the above suggestions are not intended to diminished all the fantastic efforts government at all levels have been deploying to stem the spread of COVID-19. I must salute the doggedness of everyone in this fight, particularly our health professionals at the forefront ensuring we are still safe. The above also are not a complete set of must do, just my personal contributions to galvanize my people of Grand Bonny Kingdom to be Vanguards in our collective efforts to flatten the curve of the spread of COVID-19.   

#TakeResponsibility

#StaySafe

#StayAtHome

#WashYourHandsWithSoap

#WeWillWin