The Ibibio word for robber is an ancient expression known as “ama uke”. It literally means “which one do you prefer”. The root of the expression emanates from robbers attitude of confronting their targets with a choice between their life and their money.
“Your money or your life”, is always the robbers demand at gun point. At that point your choice is precarious because the robber wants money or property at all cost. If you choose life, the robber makes away with your money or property. Ironically if you choose your money, you would almost certainly lose your life too. The robber kills you and takes your money or property in addition.
Humanity is confronted with a choice between life and livelihood. The robber this time is an invisible and inanimate enemy known in medical circles as COVID-19. It has ruined the world’s largest economy, that of the United States of America (USA). America’s nuclear arsenal which can incinerate the world 10 times is totally useless at this critical moment.
The virus invaded the USS Theodore Roosevelt, one of America’s deadliest nuclear powered aircraft carriers. The captain, instead of launching the scores of fighter jets and nuclear missiles in the massive carrier against the enemy, begged his commanders at the Pentagon to allow him to land in Guam so the crew could flee the invaded ship.
His commanders sacked him for sending his memo through unsecured channel. The aircraft carrier eventually landed at Guam. The 4, 000 crew members abandoned ship for an invisible enemy.
Nations are inadvertently making the precarious choice between life and livelihood. The government of China, the root of the virus, opted for life and allowed the virus to take its livelihood.
The Chinese ordered the largest lockdown in human history. More than 770 million people were ordered to stay at home to prevent the spread of the virus.
The rulers of China are very brutal dictators who preside over its sprawling capitalist wealth with Stalin era communist totalitarianism. No one dares to disobey them. Everyone stayed at home. For almost two months factories and shops were closed.
The Chinese have not defeated the invisible enemy, but the gain of the choice of life over livelihood is incontrovertible. The spread of the virus was drastically reduced. Only 81, 000 confirmed cases were recorded in a country with a sixth of the world’s population. The death toll is less than 5, 000.
The lockdown forced the economy to decline by a record 5.6 per cent for the first time since 1976. But lives were saved.
The U.S. is poised to protect livelihood in its choice of options for fighting the invisible enemy. America’s presidential election is a scant seven months away. Donald Trump, America’s president is determined to campaign on the back of a strong economy.
Ironically, an invisible enemy has thrown the spanner in the works of the republicans as the economy loses the steam it gathered in January.
That probably informs Trump’s desperate bid to choose livelihood over life in the fight against COVID-19. He is bent on re-opening the economy after weeks of partial lockdown which was observed largely in the breach by a permissive society.
The cost of America’s choice of livelihood over life is very conspicuous. America has a third of the confirmed cases of the viral infection in the world. There are close to 800, 000 cases. The global figure stands at 2.4 million. America’s death toll in the pestilence is above 40, 000.
Like in the case with a robber where the target opts for his money or property, America is losing both. The economy is in tatters. Unemployment rate which stood at an impressive 3.5 per cent in January now stands menacingly at 15 per cent. More than 22 million Americans lost their jobs in the last three weeks.
The healthcare system is tottering on the brink. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Sick people with COVID-19 symptoms wait for days before they could be admitted in overcrowded hospitals.
Brazil, South America’s largest economy, has a right wing president in the mold of Trump. Last Friday, Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian president fired Luiz Henrique Mandetta, the country’s health minister.
Bolsonaro is worried that Mandetta opted for life rather than livelihood in the fight against the ravaging pandemic. Mandetta wanted social distancing and lockdown to contain the spread of the virus. Bolsonaro, said it would ruin the economy. He replaced the health minister with someone who would sacrifice lives on the altar of livelihood. Everyone is watching the scene with studied silence.
Nigeria has chosen life against livelihood in its fight against the rampaging pandemic. That explains the lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states. States with little or no infections are equally locking down.
So far the lockdown has enjoyed a high degree of compliance in Lagos.
Commercial bus drivers are mostly the recalcitrant ones. They have no respect for social distancing during their dare devil runs. I saw a Volkswagen LT 35 bus carrying 27 passengers instead of 22. Five persons were squeezed into each of the five rows of seats.
The lockdown was largely observed in the breach in Abuja until the federal government called in the army to join in enforcing compliance.
Healthcare workers pay the highest prize during the lockdown. They go to work every day and fend off the virus with bare hands. Some are infected.
Last week Lagos state government “rewarded” the health workers with what amounted to an insult. One of the local governments paid a two-week stipend of N4, 000 to them. Speculations were rife that the stipend was “edited”.
The state has declared free healthcare during the lockdown but health workers are the ones buying gloves to examine the sick. Essential protective items like face mask are nowhere to be found.
The truth is that lockdown is the most credible strategy against the pandemic. Nigerians believe that death by hunger is more painful than by the virus. Lessons from China tend to suggest the contrary.
