This Monkey Business

 

Not a few Nigerians were scandalised when, Nnamdi Kanu, the fleeing (missing) leader of Independent People of Biafra, IPOB, described Nigeria as a zoo. Sure, I was one of those that were outraged by that statement because I believed that even if Kanu were an animal or chose to be one, calling Nigeria a zoo equated all of us  to animals; that was the height of insolence.

 

However, sometimes I wonder if there is some surreal sense in what the IPOB leader said. It beats me why we are in close affinity with strange animals in this country. If we were not dancing with pythons, we would be compelling crocodiles to smile, knowing full well that the two predatory creatures have no time for niceties. As if that is not enough, we have always brought monkeys into the fray.

 

In Nigeria, monkey business thrives. It pervades virtually all facets of life in this country, especially among those in leadership positions, who go into the business with clear intentions to vaunt morology over intelligence. Government also plants its stooges at every strategic point to make sure that the monkey business remains ever flourishing; that while the serfs work, the lords dictate who gets what.

 

That is why I was not taken aback by the latest avoidable controversy over monkey pox, a skin disease that broke out in the South South and South East of Nigeria.

 

When the news first broke in the social media, warning the Igbo that government was forcefully vaccinating schoolchildren against monkey pox, as a ploy to depopulate the South East, claiming that it had already commenced in Bayelsa State, I cautioned those spreading the unverified news to be careful because the entire story seemed implausible. Not long after, the matter gained veracity when the Nigerian Army actually started what they termed medical outreach to vaccinate schoolchildren against monkey pox, leading to parents withdrawing their children and wards from schools.

 

I don’t know why Nigerian leaders lack creativity to handle sensitive issues. How could the military that has besieged the South East with its dancing pythons think the people would gleefully accept this strange vaccinaation at this time, even when the exercise had even been predated by foul rumours. How could the military that had allegedly vandalised Igbo land and killed many of their sons and daughters in cold blood suddenly transmute an angel, vaccinating people against the very death they had been accused of visiting on the people?

 

I don’t know but I don’t really believe the suspicious programme was targeted at depopulating the region as alleged but in a country where rumour mongering by the throng of idle hands and minds thrives, everything is possible. It was so easy for the rumour to gain stronghold because Nigeria is a land where suspicion and mutual mistrust reigns unhinged, especially when the Nigerian Army did not sensitise the people enough prior to the outreach or disabuse the minds of the people when the scandal berthed.

 

Of course, the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army later described the rumours as silly and mischievous but it has itself to blame for the muddle. Given benefit of doubt that its intentions were germane, it is unarguable that the timing was most wrong. The entire Igbo land is seething with rage over the desecration of its peace with predatory dancing pythons, which have not only brought wanton destruction but also made Ndigbo prisoners in their own land. Commuting across Igbo land is hellish, as numerous checkpoints are mounted at every corner, regardless of the collapsed road network deliberately abandoned by the government. All manner of security personnel, military and paramilitary have been unleashed to make life unbearable for the people. So, the taut mood of the people was already suspicious of every move of government no matter how benign and could never have received the medical outreach in peace.

 

Firstly, there was not enough sensitisation and it seemed the local authorities were not even privy to it. The Nigerian Medical Association, Imo State Chapter, for instance, issued a disclaimer; so did Anambra State, which halted the exercise. There were no announcements in churches either and the traditional institution was also not apprised of the impending exercise so as to educate their people. But we are in a country where nobody accepts responsibility, otherwise, the army should be admitting bungling an otherwise helpful exercise instead of telling us how silly or mischievous the rumour was.

 

What did the army do when rumours of the alleged evil plot first broke on the social media? Did they do anything to debunk or nip it in the bud? Why did they have to wait until the thing had been blown out of proportion before its lame reaction? Would it not have made sense to suspend the exercise entirely since it had already been tainted? Couldn’t government have made the vaccines available to states for onward transmission to health centres after they had been subjected to tests by the local NMA and lab scientists? What does the government intend to achieve by its continued humiliating militarisation of the South East?

 

Can we altogether dismiss the people’s rejection of the medical outreach as unnecessary paranoia? There have been grisly episodes of vaccination gone awry in this country. The Pfizer debacle in kano readily comes to mind with its gargantuan misfortune, which will haunt the victims and their families for a lifetime, with mangled bodies and destinies. No, the people cannot be blamed for being apprehensive although this is not the first time such rumours are being spread. There was a time the mermaid reportedly came out of the water and prowled Enugu, resulting in a stampede in schools that led to death of some pupils. However, the onus is on the government to remove all vestiges of fear and doubt and build trust in the people.

 

Therefore, government should do away with all monkey business. A situation where a particular set of people are alienated and trampled under feet does not engender national ethos, but rather mutual mistrust, schisms and needless animosity. That is why Nigeria, described as mere geographical expression by a sage has, unfortunately, welding together of wood and iron over a hundred years after. Nigeria is yet to transform into nation with nationalism, no thanks to the obtuse nepotistic inclinations, cronyism and barefaced hatred for a section of the country by successive governments. It is self-evident, therefore, that government is to blame for why the Igbo rejected its monkey pox vaccines. They would rather die, knowing what killed them, than being cheapened by death packaged in questionable kindness. A government that lacks the confidence of the people it purportedly governs is dead.

 

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Written by Tony Iwuoma