By Shola Oshunkeye with Timothy Oluwapelumi Ojo
The former Chairman/CEO of Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, has expressed deep concerns about the increasing non-challance of many Nigerians who, he said, have erroneously begun to think that the opening of worship centres across the country signaled the beginning of the end of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
Ohuabunwa, who turned 70 Sunday, August 16, 2020, shared his worries in an exclusive interview with The Crest in Lagos, warning that the pandemic was yet to peak in Nigeria and the country’s worst nightmares was yet to be over.
The world renowned pharmacist, who spent 33 years of his working life in the pharmaceutical industry, 18 of them as CEO, said Nigeria was far away from flattening the curve and the times called for caution.
“Nobody should take this thing for granted until a vaccine is provided or a known therapeutic strategy is formulated,” warned Ohuabunwa who has served on the board of over 35 companies. “We should take cues from countries who felt the war was over and now they are having second waves and even third waves. And they have better healthcare systems than us.”
To underscore his stand that resumption of worship in the two main religions should not be misconstrued as an all-clear sign, the boardroom guru declared: “Yes, God is protecting us but we should not take anything for granted, until the war is over.”
Overall, they (PTF and the Federal Government) have done above average, at least better than the American Government. I have never seen any people more confused than the Americans. Their President’s disrespect for experts is so worrisome. Nigeria has taken it more seriously than the leadership in America. Nigerian government has been more consistent in their dissemination of information.
Ohuabunwa also did a critical appraisal of Nigeria’s efforts at stopping the ravaging coronavirus pandemic in the country, submitting that the war against the invisible and deadly enemy cannot be won through the current strategy. Point blank, the world renowned pharmacist declared that there was an urgent need for a comprehensive review of strategy.
“Are we using the right strategy to fight COVID-19, I would say a capital NO. What we are doing wrong is we minimized the opportunity to do better. How many people have we tested?”
When this reporter answered and said that out of the 206 million Nigerians, a little over 300,000 had been tested, Ohuabunwa said things have just got to change.
“Is that not a clear evidence that we are jokers?” he snarled. “Sincerely, it’s God that is just keeping us. My wife went to the market and she was concerned and frustrated about how people weren’t using face masks. That is one area.
“Secondly, when this whole COVID-19 started, they didn’t mobilize medical experts. It was like an enterprise between NCDC (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control) and the (Federal) Ministry of Health. They didn’t call medical personnel, medical experts, NMA (Nigerian Medical Association), PSN (Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria). If you were sick in Lagos, they would send your sample to Abuja for testing; and they said they were prepared!
“What about my village in Arochukwu that is two or more hours from Umuaiah (both in Abia States)? How would anybody arrive to do a test, then, you send it to where? If this was ebola, it would be worse. We didn’t mobilise people sufficiently. They were acting like it was their problem. I mean those briefing us on television, they acted like it was their problem. We were made spectators. We had to voice out at being sidelined. The other day, they asked the Minister of Health if there was any motivation for the frontline workers; and he said he didn’t know! A whole Minister of Health says he doesn’t know of bonus (to doctors), saying that it is their job.”
Although Ohuabunwa compared denying frontline medical workers special allowances to refusing bonuses to soldiers at the war front, he gave thumb-up for Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and Head of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, PTF, for what he described as his “stand-out performer”.
“In the end,” Ohuabunwa said, “what I think is that this Presidential Task Force has a stand-out performer in Boss Mustapha. He took it as a serious job. The amount of time he has spent on TV, briefing Nigerians, and his time investment is remarkable. Part of the saving grace is Mustapha heading the task force and also acting as the Secretary to the Government.
“Sometimes, some of the ministers would not be there, but Boss never misses any briefing. That’s one thing they have done and I applaud them. But they are realising now that they should have increased testing. I had written them to increase testing and, then, enforce the use of face masks. I was one of those who proposed that whether scientifically proven or not, if you have a barrier covering your mouth and nose, you will be protected somehow. They said it’s not been proven; meanwhile, people have died and many infected. There are certain things they should have done proactively.”
Despite the criticism, the former Neimeth PLC boss still gave kudos to the PTF and the federal government for keeping Nigerians well informed about the pandemic, warning them that COVID-19 was not a joke, unlike America under President Donald Trump who appears to be fiddling and lying while Americans are dying of the disease in their thousands daily.
His words: “Overall, they (PTF and the Federal Government) have done above average, at least better than the American Government. I have never seen any people more confused than the Americans. Their President’s disrespect for experts is so worrisome. Nigeria has taken it more seriously than the leadership in America. Nigerian government has been more consistent in their dissemination of information. I’m glad that the Nigerian government didn’t take that path.”
Please, watch out for the full interview soon. Only in The Crest…