May be instead of blaming the people for their “ignorance” or “indiscipline” in the fight against Covid-19, we should look at the Government and its acts of commission and/or omission in this whole saga. I ask these fundamental questions: what is the purpose of Government? Is it fulfilling what we expect from it? Has it risen to the occasion, to this occasion? Has it exhibited the leadership so required?
I hold the State, nay the Government, particularly the Executive, squarely accountable for our gross inability to contain Covid-19 and NOT THE PEOPLE. Who else should we blame? Everything around our lives revolves around or rather is controlled by law, policy and the budget. And all these three are within the purview of the Executive to a greater extent.
It introduces them to the Legislature for scrutiny and approval, in line with due process and to ensure due diligence. And thereafter does the most important part, implementation and enforcement. The Executive introduced the SoPE and its various regulations. What happened to them? We expect the people to implement or enforced them? The Executive had an approved budget for the fight against Covid-19 and got international assistance or loans as well? What happened to them? Until about a week ago, our frontline workers were complaining of unpaid allowances due to them. What is the state of our health care system, even before Covid-19? What social protection system do we have in place, to cushion the poor and the marginalized against the effects of Covid-19? And we expect them to move on as if their lives and livelihoods do not matter….
Imagine if the regulations weren’t made a scarecrow but enforced or implemented in letter and spirit? Imagine if the budget was judiciously used and the health care system strengthened? Imagine if the social protection system was in place and poor households supported adequately? Imagine if the whole of Government was mobilized and energies directed to the fight against Covid-19? Imagine if there was the required exemplary political leadership and vision? Imagine if the Executive hadn’t pandered to the whims and caprices of any section of the society and did things as they should be; made the unpopular but legal and right decisions and implemented or enforced them regardless? Imagine if the Covid-19 prevention strategy is fully implemented and sincerely so?
See, we didn’t form a State called the Gambia for nothing. We didn’t institute a Government for the State for nothing. We didn’t surrender our sovereign powers to the Government, or rather delegate to it our collective authority and power, for nothing. The people did all these, including trusting their collective powers and authority to the State, or rather the Government, because they think it can bring them order, stability, peace, progress, happiness, protection, direction, coordination, etc., in their lives. They render to it “habitual obedience” not because the Government is the Leviathan, but also because without some order and stability life may be brutish and short for themselves.
For the people, they in the main would like to be left to their own devices, to do things as they want, unencumbered, unrestrained, unfettered. Law and order feel like restrictions, a sort of albatross around their necks. It is the Government, set up to protect lives and property and ensure availability of goods and services and maximum happiness of the people, which is expected to always act in the best interests of the people. When the Government becomes as emotional, illogical, indiscipline, unintelligent, carefree, as the people, expect nothing less than “anarchy”. And Covid-19 strives well in a state of “anarchy”
We have talked the talk, written numerous opinion articles, kicked and whined for the wanton trampling on our rights by Adama and his minion ministers.
IF anarchy erupts, the first to die are THE PEOPLE. But there is an antidote to that: mobilize and organize to constitutionally overthrow the decadent ruling class.