EBOLA; a soon to be ‘Nigerianized’ epidemic.

What does it mean to ‘Nigerianize’ a situation?

    Treat it like sex; everyone knows Nigerians live on the two extremes of the sexual spectrum. Those who talk about it, talk about it a little too much, and others don’t talk about it at all. These are the one's I am most worried about. When it comes to Ebola they might be tempted to treat it like a topic for hush tone, under the table conversations. For the former group it might be a subject that will be talked into irrelevance as they rebroadcast any Ebola related information without bothering to confirm the information as medically accurate. The later hide in the comfort of ignorance and denial, while the former peddle true or false stories and information like Gala in Lagos traffic.

    Make it political; Everybody is a politician and everything is an APC or PDP argument; lately, it is hard to accept things that happen without thinking of political reasons to categorize them. Even public opinions now carry party flags. Positive comments are PDP and any form of criticism, no matter how astute is trivialized by shelving it as APC. There will be no surprise if accusation missiles begin to fly ‘ PDP a failure; as  Ebola outbreak threatens nation- APC’ or ‘ APC behind Ebola outbreak in Nigeria- PDP’. never underestimate the ability of self absorbed politicians to make everything about themselves, even a pending national epidemic.

    Undermine it with religion; Nigeria is not the world’s most religious nation for nothing. This title comes with the ability to leave everything to the Nigerian god.  The right to encounter problems, and rather than find solutions look for signs and wonders. Every situation is an atmosphere for miracles. Arming ourselves with holy ghost vaccines and overdosing on prophylactics of ‘it is not my portion’, ‘God forbid’, or better yet the more dramatic ‘tufiakwa!’.  Ebola-vangelist who cast out Ebola virus will emerge, and  Facebook  ‘Ebola-vangellism’ posts such as 'type ‘amen’ to avoid the same fate as Patrick sawyer' might come after. Everything, even Ebola can become a crusade.

    Ebola investigating committee; a committee will be set up, lead by the very efficient minister of health who said cheerily on national television to a largely still naive nation ‘Ebola cannot be transmitted by shaking hands’(we are eagerly awaiting a demonstration by the honorable minister)  This committee will draft a  bogus budget to enable it run this investigation that will take an unknown duration of time, but no less than a month, and hopefully no more than a year.

  And finally when Ebola is hopefully contained we may still 'Nigerianize' it’s containment with self serving political Headlines such as ‘ EBOLA ERADICATION; sign of efficiency of the present administration-PDP’ or ‘APC- avertion of health crisis sign of good things to come under our tutelage’.

   Everything is an opportunity for opportunist. Do your part,embrace the knowledge that prevention is a miracle in itself. Read the right materials, listen to the right sources and stay safe as we try in our own little way to contain an impending health epidemic.