Playing politics with COVID-19: Insanity of Reality? By Salawu Adekunle

Playing politics with COVID-19: Insanity of Reality? By Salawu Adekunle

For some time, columnists, media hirelings, bloggers of all shades have been reacting to the way Kwara is handling the Coronavirus pandemic in different angles. It is embarrassing for us as a State of harmony to make political gains from an unhealthy situation. Most politicians are looking for loopholes to discredit the effort of the government so far despite using non-political machinery to ensure equity and fairness in the distribution of palliative measures.

Recently, the Kwara State government ( KWSG)was commended nationwide for its quick response to curb the spread of the pandemic, a thing that should be a pride to Kwarans.
While commending all the donors to the Kwara State technical commitee on COVID-19 and NGOs,  it is eminent for political parties, ethnic groups and religious bodies to fight against COVID-19 before it becomes devastating.
It beats my imagination why the distinguished and prominent politicians in the ruling APC could not team up with the Kwara state government to face this common enemy.

The state government led by His Excellency, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq recently approved the payment of essential workers during COVID -19, supplied PPEs, procured ventilators and the state's isolation is of international standard.

With the situation around the globe, it is now crystal clear that there is no place like home, we should put Kwara first like a popular quote by John F. Kennedy "ask not for what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" . 

In my observations, I saw the vulnerable people queued up for palliative measures forgetting their differences, what matters to them is survival and their well-being which is the responsibility of the government.

 *The Kwara state governor remain the only governor who is not distracted by Coronavirus,* against all odds he continues to fulfil his campaign promises which has touched all sectors of Kwara economy.

These lines by Khali Gilbran aptly describe Kwara's reality, which our leaders should wake up to:
 
 " Pity the nation that raises not its voice save when it walks in a funeral, boasts not except among ruins, and will revel not save when its neck is laid between the sword and the block.
 Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox, whose philosopher is a juggler and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking.

 Pity the nation whose sages are dumb with years and whose strongmen are yet in the cakes. "

Let us remember that "in prosperity our friends know us and in adversity we know our friends".
Let all political players put politics aside for the sake of humanity and team up to a better kwara..

Lastly calling your governor different names is contemptuous and high level of immorality. One would wonder what they call their fathers at home.

Salawu Adekunle
Coordinator
Kwara State Youth For Development (KYD) is a Civil Society Organization. 
02/05/2020