Kunle Oyatomi
Ghanaians will never forget their late president, John Jerry Rawlings, the retired flight-lieutenant who administered what he called the ‘bitter pill’ to the comatose country he inherited at his second coming as a military ruler in the early 80s.
The worried citizens wondered why the young martial ruler appeared to be inflicting more pain with his social and economic policies when they ought to be experiencing ameliorating circumstances following his takeover from a civilian government. But JJ, as the charismatic Rawlings was fondly called, to his compatriots that the pill he was prescribing was bitter. But they must swallow it the situation was not to get worse. They cooperated. At the end of the day, JJ landed Ghana safely after her bumpy flight that threatened to crash.
In the State of Osun also, Governor Gboyega Oyetola has surveyed the landscape and discovered that if he didn’t step in to administer some ‘bitter pill’ by way of halting the convergence of crowds all over the state, Covid-19 would make destructive inroads. Lives would be lost. There would also be grave reversals of the giant strides the state has made lately under the All Progressives Congress, APC government of Oyetola. That would not only baffle local and international observers hailing Oyetola for his economic sagacity but also why failed to protect his gains through proactive measures, even if that entailed bringing in the proverbial ‘bitter pill’.
That is the background to the government’s return to some restrictions to tame the second of the spread of coronavirus in Osun. First, the government saw that there were new cases of the virus’ infection both in the state and across the country. It amounted to a warning that a bigger and deadlier wave around the corner. So, promptly, asked his own cabinet, special advisers and his domestic staff along with aides attached to senior government staff to take responsibility by going for Covid-19 test. They have since complied, with two testing positive and going into isolation and commencing treatment.
Having had charity to begin at home, in a manner of speaking, turned to the larger scene to introduce limited controls in movement and gatherings. These are largely non-pharmaceutical guidelines. No social gatherings beyond 50, which must have government approval. Vigils and crusades are outlawed, while no religious ceremony will exceed two hours at only 30% of its space. Schools are to operate, but only with full observance of Covid-19 protocols.
The Civil Service, markets and the hospitality and transportation sectors are affected, with penalties for the infraction. Lastly, there will be a curfew from 10pm to 5am.
Obviously, these are tough decisions that, needless to say, would curtail a business, social activities and general economic ventures. But the onslaught of the second coming of the deadly Covid-19 warrants a quick response to stop it from killing the people or setting in a health crisis that would make all the great feats of a nullity. No serious government would allow that.
What Oyetola is dishing out via the restrictions is the ‘bitter pill’ we must all take in order to be alive to enjoy the dividends of good governance he’s giving us.
OYATOMI is the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of the APC in the state of Osun
