Ayade, Shaming His Doubters, Proving His Ingenuity In Fight Against COVID-19

When Governor Ben Ayade, around April made some postulations about the possible ways of preventing and managing the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus pandemic, a character like Reuben Abati, former Presidential Spokesman and his like went wild in the Media to tongue lash him.

While Governor Ayade, a Scientist and a cerebral Professor of Environmental Microbiology was discussing Science, Abati, a Journalist and fiction writer was celebrating his foolery thinking Science is fiction. He spoke very rudely about the Governor's expertise opionions without recourse to the fact that he was challenging a Scientist in an area he has little or no knowledge about.

Some naysayers who are as ignorant as Abati or out of pure envy and hatred for him also celebrated their ignorance to eldorado by refusing to show humility to learn as well as acknowledge the ingenuity of the Governor.

But months later, time has proven that Abati and his like are bundle of ignoramus who don't really understand anything about the virus or the fight against it and are too arrogant to learn from an expert.

Besides the fact that Ayade was the first Governor in Nigeria who despite the state COVID-19 free status at the time and which has remained so till today shutdown all entry points into the state, he introduced some special measure like limiting commercial vehicles to carrying just three passengers, tricycle, one amongst others to curtail the spread of the virus.

When he introduced this, as expected, those who don't understand the rationale behind it complained but today, the strategy has not just been adopted by most states of the federation but some Africa countries like Uganda etc.

Also, he was the first to introduce the "No Mask No Movement" policy which has been adopted not only by the federal government of Nigeria but other Africa countries including South Africa, Ghana etc. Even the world powers, the United States of America which is one of the countries that have recorded the highest number of cases and deaths have copied the policy.

At a time when even the country and the world over was complaining of PPE including nose mask, Ayade directed the state Garment Factory and other qualified Tailors in the state to mass produce mask made from fabrics at the expense of the government. These were given freely to millions of Cross Riverians. This too has been adopted by many countries in Africa and the world at large.

Even the world health organisation which later validated this, started by doubting the efficacy of this type of mask in preventing the spread of the virus. Today, more people are using more fabrics made mask than even the synthetic surgical masks. 

Nevertheless, weeks ago, he announced yet another maiden policy in the fight against COVID-19. This time, it was the wearing of face shield by Students who are to gradually return to school with locally made face shields. The shield made from the state Garment Factory is to be distributed to pupils and students free of charge. The state is the first in the country to adopt this.

In all these, the biggest of all may just be his scientific postulations around April or so on areas the federal government should focus on to get vaccines for the treatment of infected Coronavirus patients.

He opined that the vaccines for the treatment of the virus may rest on those who have recovered, maintaining that their serum should undergo laboratory process and be mass produced as vaccines for the treatment of infected persons because for them to recover, it means they have antibodies against the virus.

Again, the doubting Thomases threw this away with a wave of hand. 

However, with the disclosure by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire that the federal government is working on research centred on the usage of plasma from the blood of recovered Coronavirus patients to treat people infected with the virus, Ayade doubters would now be left to wallow in what the scripture says in Proverb 26:11 that "As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly".

On COVID-19, Gov Ayade has shown his ingenuity and deserves to be pegged shoulder to shoulder with other world champions like German Chancellor, Angela Merkel who is using her expertise as Scientist to lead not just her country but the entire Europe on the fight against the pandemic like he's setting the pace for Nigeria and Africa.