By Ibrahim Jalloh aka Jallomy
Sierra Leoneans cannot be said to be ill-prepared for the Coronavirus on account of the history and experience with the Ebola. Arguably, in terms of logistics, we may need to do more and more but from a psychological point of view, we should be in a mental state of preparedness as the symptoms, signs and effects of the Coronavirus are mostly similar with the Ebola.
Since the outbreak and the declaration of the President, much has been achieved. The most significant and foundational achievement in the COVID -19 response is the solid political will demonstrated by the president and his early steps at giving the response efforts a national character and identity. In addition, the president spiced all of these with a remarkable servant leadership style. He assumed the role of Chief Social Mobilization Officer. Such magnanimous attitude triggered an outright readiness on all to do the needful.
At a defining moment, the President demonstrated the highest level of moral leadership by his voluntary submission to self-quarantine. The message was loud and clear. The president has taken the lead and who else will not follow.
Sadly, the response has been fraught with politics and the unbridled urge to make political capital. It is a human factor but it is difficult to understand why a group of people would want to make political capital out of a nation in crisis or on the brink.
The prescribed safety protocols are not new, not unique, not strange and not unattainable. They are the same as practised and complied with during the Ebola outbreak. Why must people find it difficult and hard to comply? Why must such resistance conflagrate and degenerate to unpardonable mayhem? Genuine answers to these questions will reveal an indecent political factor.
The machinery of political resistance and hopeless denial of a basic governance reality of change has been brutally demonstrated in the three infamous and unpardonable chain incidents in Lunsar, Pademba Road Correctional Centre and the fishing community of Tombo. These horrific incidents portray the ferocity of the politics of hate and denial.
The President reacted and in a robust and action oriented manner. He was forced by the horror of the moment to abandon his restraint character and magnanimous approach to dealing with national issues. He spoke tough, hard, unambiguous and consistent. The ripples of his national address were engulfing, real fear was induced and the reality settled that the president has emptied his body of the milk of human kindness. The presidential address to the nation was carefully carved, deliberate and intentional and it created the desired impact.
The lead opposition party is visibly struggling to stay clean from the debacle. It is a difficult moment for the APC and the tracks are dusty for image resuscitation. President Bio did not mince his words. His choice of words was appropriate and he took less time and energy to locate the problem and the familiar protagonists. The tones of audios on Social Media and the wrongly celebrated heroes cement the grounds for the measured indictment.
It is an unpardonable sin to transform the conventional measures of fighting the Coronavirus to lethal instruments of war. We are old and experienced enough to understand the antics of people and unbridled appetite for power.
+232 76 865510, akempi@yahoo.com
Copyright (c) 2020 Politico Online
