COVID-19: Jonathan Recalls Ebola Experience, Reveals Why Lockdown May Be Ineffective

Former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan yesterday warned that the restrictions of movement and the lockdown of African economies in response to the Coronavirus pandemic may not achieve the needed results in the absence of effective testing.

Speaking as a panelist in an international web-based conference organised by the Universal Peace Federation, UPF, he explained that this is because people within the communities will continue to spread the virus to people even without knowing. 

Jonathan therefore urged stronger economies and international agencies like the World Health Organisation, WHO, to support the efforts of African nations towards procuring necessary equipment and kits to enable them conduct aggressive testing that would make the current lockdown imposed on cities more productive.

This was made known in a statement by the ex-president's Media Adviser, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, which added that other panelists at the conference themed: ‘Governance Challenges in the Era of the Coronavirus Pandemic’, included Mr. Stephen Harper, former Canadian Prime Minister, Mr. Sang Hyun Yoon, South Korean parliamentarian and Dr. Thomas Walsh, UPF Chairman.

Jonathan recalled that when Ebola hit Nigeria and some other African countries in 2014 under his presidency, Nigeria was able to effectively contain the spread by adopting proactive measures that ensured effective collaboration between states and the Federal Government as well as mobilized support from the civil society, private sector and the international community.

The former president therefore called for greater synergy among different levels of government to ensure that whatever measures are adopted in dealing with the pandemic will achieve the desired result. 

Speaking on the need for aggressive testing on the African continent, he said: “It is true that many African nations are observing lockdown of cities and maintaining isolation centres, but if there is no effective testing, locking down populations as currently obtainable in many African countries may not be very effective. This is because people within the communities will continue to spread the virus even without knowing.”

Jonathan urged international financing and donor agencies as well as creditor nations to consider granting economic palliatives including debt relief or placing moratorium on repayments to help weaker nations cope with the economic difficulties brought upon them by the Covid-19 pandemic.