The Demise of our Unsung Heroes
By Laz Ude Eze
Nigeria is a blessed country endowed with rich natural and
human resources. We have potentials to be among the most developed countries of
the world. Paradoxically, we lag behind in most of the global development and
health indices. It is no longer news that Nigeria is one of the only three
countries in the world with polio virus; the other two are Pakistan and
Afghanistan. In fact, Nigeria accounts for about a half of the global burden of
polio. This is shameful.
According to a recent report by the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, continued polio transmission in 7 of Nigeria’s northern
states has led to the re-introduction of the virus in at least 12 African
countries previously declared polio free, repeatedly dashing hope that global
targets for eradication - first in 2000, then in 2005 – could be met. Multiple
factors hamper polio eradication efforts in the north but the most potent one
are the escalating terrorists’ attacks that has created an atmosphere of
pervasive fear and insecurity. These attacks have scared health workers away
from the troubled areas and therefore undermined local accessibility to the
polio vaccine. But some health workers
still risked their lives to save our children from polio virus. That is a
heroic thing to do. Tragically, they have now become the targets of the
cannibalistic terrorists.
A few days ago, the national and international media was
awash with the devastating news of the gruesome murder of nine health workers
who were carrying out polio vaccination in Kano State by yet-to-be-identified
criminals. It may be recalled that a similar thing occurred in Pakistan in
December 2012. Expectedly, the killings
have attracted spontaneous outrage and global condemnations. In his reaction,
the Minister of State for Health, Dr Muhammad Pate said, “We are invariably
left dumbfounded by this dastardly act of cowardice that has not spared the
very people who have paid the ultimate price because of their commitment to
humanity and the love of their profession. These nine health workers and those
injured are our heroes in the fight against maternal and child mortality in the
country”. HAPPYNigeria, a youth-led health advocacy group also condemned the
killings and called for the immortalization of the slain health workers.
As at the time of writing this piece (48 hours after the
killing), Nigerians were yet to know the identities of their heroes. It kept me
wondering whether those slain heroes would end up as mere numeric figures in
our heads. Don’t they deserve more than press statements? Don’t Nigerians and
the international community deserve to know their names, lifetime’s stories and
contributions towards polio eradication - a cause they’ve laid their life for?
Why is the mainstream media not telling us more about these heroes? Why is the
social media relatively quiet? Has any top government official visited the
families of the deceased or the injured? Will government go beyond describing
them as heroes and treat them as such?
Within the last couple of months, Professor Hyacinth Mbibu, a
surgeon and head of the Department of Surgery of the Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria was shot dead; 27-year old Dr Irawo Ademolekun was shot dead on the
street of Lagos in broad day light; and one Dr Chinonye Nwishi was assassinated
in Imo State (just last week). While writing this article, the news of the
killing of 3 foreign medical doctors in Potiskum, Yobe State broke. Many health workers have fallen victims to
kidnapping and senseless killings and the occurrence appears to be increasing.
These folks are dying in the course of saving others - that’s heroic, but they
are going uncelebrated. Same goes with policemen, soldiers and other security
personnel who lose their lives almost every week while trying to secure the
rest of us. They go uncelebrated and their families abandoned to languish in
pains and hardship. That’s not fair.
I think as a people, Nigerians should develop a culture of
focusing more on the positive than the negative. Understandably, negative news
sells better but we should not fail to acknowledge and celebrate the heroic
acts of many compatriots who lose their lives in active service o the nation. In
such situations one expects the government to disclose the identities of people
- rich or poor, literate or not, nationals or foreigners – who get injured or
killed while in active national or humanitarian services. These people include
but not limited to the security personnel, health workers, fire fighters, corps
members and public servants. The media should tell us more about the lives and
times of these heroes. We need to know the people they left behind. The
Nigerian people should also recognize and celebrate these heroes. This is the
least that can be done to encourage people to take such risks in national
interest.
Kano and many other part of the Nigeria have very low number
of health workers serving the population, these targeted killings portends
grave danger to an already beleaguered health system. More effective action is
needed. Government needs to more to protect lives and properties. We as a
people must not continue to leave our heroes die unsung; they die for us and
deserve to be celebrated. We should celebrate everyone, dead or alive who
engages in selfless service to humanity. May God bless the souls of our
departed heroes and strengthen their families. God bless Nigeria.
Laz Ude Eze, MB,BS (Ibadan) CBHE (World Bank Institute)
MPH/CGH Candidate 2013
University of Kentucky, USA
Director of Commuinications & Advocacy, HAPPYNigeria
Tweet me @donlaz4u
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