Global uniqueness of Covid19

By

Emordi Promise Jude

Contact: judeokonji024@gmail.com or +2347037923560

Human existence can not be separated from one crisis or the other. This is because, right from the time, Adam and Eve disobeyed God the creator, and paradise on earth was loss, the peaceful co-existence of mankind on earth was shaken to its roots. Nevertheless, health crisis possess greater threats to mankind. Most especially, viruses and other infectious diseases that is contagious in nature. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic from Wuhan a province in China, has thrown the entire world into global health crisis. This is because it has spread like a wildfire, consuming human lives as if they worth nothing. The pandemic is a test as regards the history of mankind civilization and the limits to such civilization adventures. Coronavirus as a pandemic have some unique lessons for the global world in general and Nigeria in particular.

First and foremost, the virus has clearly shown that the configuration of the civilization agenda base on development ideologies can not guarantee a crisis free co-existence of mankind on earth. Likewise, the virus has also revealed that market forces as being projected by neo-liberal globalization are unable to manage any crisis it has created without state intervention. Round the world, most of the public policies implemented with the aim of curtailing the further spread of the virus have caused a devastating impact on the economy and toil on the citizens. Thus, the state is once again intervening through various palliatives put in place in order to keep the economy going.

Secondly, the pandemic have no regards for economy that are developed or not. Nor those that are world power or emerging or underdeveloped. Economies around the world experienced some of the pandemic shock therapy. The pandemic did not also respect territorial boundaries be it air, sea and land. For example America is currently feeling the hit more even when she happens to be the Police of the World and the Headquarters of the Washington Consensus. Likewise, Nigeria which happens to be the Giant of Africa, is not finding the global health pandemic crisis easy. Her economy is already in a standstill, with population, unemployment, poverty, and inequality at a geometrical increase as the public policy against Covid-19 further exacerbates these issues. Both countries have to lockdown and monitor what comes and leaves their territories.

Thirdly, the covid-19 pandemic is no respecter of races. Just the way racism has become a paradox of western democracy and civilization. The recent killing of George Floyd and the protests that it emanated after the incidence attests to that fact. Likewise, insecurity, corruption and weak institution have become the paradox of African democracy and civilization as portrayed in Nigeria and other African States.

Fourthly, the coronavirus is no respecter of the type of institution in a state. States with weak and strong institutions are all affected. For example, America, France and Germany tend to have stronger institutions compared to Nigeria, Ghana and South Sudan. Yet, these countries are all battling with an increasing rate of the confirmed cases of Covig-19 till date.

Fifthly, the global health pandemic defied the population configurations of the world. Both countries with low and high populations were affected. Countries like South Sudan, Ghana can not be compared with China, India and Nigeria in terms of population. Yet, these countries are all engulfed with the coronavirus pandemic.

Sixthly, the virus did not take into cognizance the forms of government that is operational round the world. Be it monarchical, federalism, and con-federalism or be it a military controlled state or a civilian state. Every country got their cases.

Seventhly, the coronavirus scourge have also portrayed the fact that the same way development ideologies keep emerging in a cyclical ways, the same way viruses and infectious diseases keep emerging and becoming more deadlier as regards distorting the wheels of civilization around the world. For example from mercantilism to capitalism so do we also have from ebola to coronavirus.

Finally, the coronavirus pandemic have really depicted that freedom of movement is something that matters more to mankind compared to their safety at the expense of starvation.