A little over a week ago, Southwest governors resolved to enforce the wearing of face masks by south-westerners in order to further enable the fight against COVID-19.
Despite all their efforts, infections had continued to rise, thus prompting the governors, through the Southwest Governors’ Forum, to compel their states to wear masks.
The decision was taken at a virtual conference organised by the governors. They gave approximately one week notice.
Said the governors in a statement signed by the Ondo State governor and Chairman of the Southwest Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu: “The entry points of our six states (will) be closed forthwith to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
That the state governors agreed that people involved in essential services or dealing in medicine, water and consumable items, in particular traders and market men/women, should endeavour to wear nose masks while outside plying their trades to minimise the spread of the deadly virus.
The governors further agreed that wearing of nose masks will be made compulsory for everybody coming out of their homes effective from Friday 24 April, 2020 in their respective states.”
The governors are right to embrace any measure they think would advance the fight against the disease, and the fight, it must be admitted, is indeed urgent.
But to give one week deadline to a people burdened by weeks of lockdowns, a people groaning under much privations, is doubtless abrasive and a little insensitive.
It is harsh to blackmail them by suggesting that reluctance to wear the masks by the deadline is tantamount to their not appreciating the life-and-death situation months of official lassitude and tardiness in the COVID-19 war has brought upon the people.
The Southwest used to be more advanced than the rest of the country in formulating policies, paradigms and initiatives in human development and governance.
Now, the national pastime of uninspiring governance has caught up with them. Wearing masks may be an important component of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, but the Southwest could have handled the mask policy and other policies like interstate lockdowns with far better timing and aplomb. Perhaps they didn’t because they are no longer able to.