Hannatu Musawa
On Wednesday the 24th of November 2021, Mrs. Joseph was reading an interesting book like she usually does every morning before getting ready for the day. The TV was on and the popular morning show “Sunrise Daily” on Channels Television had already began though she wasn’t watching since she was so engrossed in the book.
However when she heard the introduction of the Governor of Abia State, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, it piqued her interest. Mrs. Joseph was curious to know the questions the governor was going to be asked and the answers he was going to give, since it bordered on his stewardship as governor of his state. Alas, it was mind blowing when she heard the governor say women who give birth in government health facilities in Abia State will get N500.
Mrs. Joseph couldn’t believe what she had just heard. The governor went on further to say the move became important due to the fact that access to quality healthcare wasn’t cheap. In his words “Abia State has keyed into the basic health insurance for pregnant women. If you put to bed in any of our primary healthcare centres, you get N500. Delivery is free; they give you a delivery pack and they give N500 which is running for the vulnerable members of the society.”
The governor then went on and on about how the policy is targeted at vulnerable and poor people in the state. When asked what the women would do with the N500 , his response seemed slightly haughty. “Are you asking a poor woman what she will do with N500? Some people don’t have it.” He concluded by stressing that while the money may be seen as little, it will be enough to pay their way back home.
The rest of Mrs. Joseph’s day was literally filled with melancholy and despondency. The interview kept on replaying in her head over and over again. She still couldn’t believe the words that came out from the governor’s mouth. Mrs. Joseph kept on asking herself, what in the world would 500 naira do for these women? She put herself in the women’s shoes and cringed at the thought given 500 naira after a new mother had just given birth.
Outrage and knocks understandably followed the governor’s statements. Many Nigerian’s considers the “500 naira support” laughable and an insult to women. For Mrs. Joseph, it is the height of insensitivity. In today’s economy, what can N500 do? How many things can N500 buy? Even if, as the governor says, the money is meant for transportation back home, for some of the women, the money would not be enough depending on the terrains their homes are situated in.
Around the world, health financing strategies that incorporate financial incentives and incentivizes poor women to give birth in a health facility by providing them with a cash transfer upon discharge are being applied in many low- and middle-income countries, and improving maternal and neonatal health. The World Health Organization (WHO) says between 1990 and 2010, maternal deaths have declined by nearly 50% worldwide due in part to financing strategies.
In Nepal as far back as 2012, cash payments ranging from $8 to $24 were given to women who give birth in state-run health facilities depending on the terrain they reside in. Those that reside in plains districts were given $7.8. Those in hill districts got $15.6 while those in mountain districts got the sum of $23.4. In India through the implementation of a national cash transfer program to incentivize poor women to give birth in public health facilities, they were provided with a cash incentive of $23 upon discharge in 2013.
Now, compare this to the N500 that women who give birth in state-run hospital in Abia state gets in 2021. No wonder the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is still high in the country as more women prefer to give birth at home or use a traditional midwife. According to the W.H.O, the MMR of Nigeria is 814 (per 100,000 live births). The lifetime risk of a Nigerian woman dying during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum or post-abortion is 1 in 22, in contrast to the lifetime risk in developed countries estimated at 1 in 4900.
The governor’s statement is a classic case of disconnect and widening gap between the political class and the people. Many of those that are ruling are insensitive to the plights of Nigerians. The rate at which poverty is ravaging the country is inconsistent with the vast resources available. It really is a wonder that the country’s vast natural and mineral wealth does not translate to better life for Nigerians.
As the sixth largest oil producer in the world, Nigeria has no excuse for failing to lift her people out of poverty. One of the causes that have been identified for this over the years was the perennial lack of good governance. Thus, there has been a correlation between the quality of the country’s leadership and the quality of good governance.
While many would criticize the Federal Government, Mrs. Joseph always asks the question, “what are the sub-nationals doing?” This is the government that is closer to the people right now since they have effectively rendered local governments extinct. What are they doing with the allocations they receive from Abuja every month? What are they doing with the internally generated revenues in their respective states?
Over the years Governors have literally turned states into a fiefdom of sorts. They rule by fiat, solely determining what transpires in all three arms of government. The local government chairmen are handpicked by governors and thus beholden to them. Consequently in many states, healthcare, education, infrastructure and financial initiatives are in a state of coma.
Leadership deficit is one of the factors preventing Nigeria from achieving sustainable economic growth and development, as well as addressing many of her socioeconomic problems. If governance especially at the sub-national level is not able to provide efficient leadership and complementary development, it simply means that the country cannot achieve the kind of goals and targets she deserves.
Elections are fast approaching and Nigeria needs to begin to, “shine their eyes!” Nigerians need to begin to elect capable hands that have been tested and trusted. Nigerians needs to begin to vote in “square pegs” into “square holes” not the perennial square pegs that are trying to fit into square holes we have all over the place.
The voter apathy abound in the country, which we are witnessing should be a thing of the past in the 2023 elections. The Southeast region is especially known for recording this phenomenon. The recent Anambra election is a testament of this albeit the security was largely blamed. Coming out en-masse and voting for credible candidates will bring the much needed development and upliftment Nigerians deserve.
To be ‘tone deaf’ in modern parlance is to be callous, careless, even cruel towards one’s fellow beings and not understanding how people feel about something, or what is needed in a particular situation. And when utterances emanate from the leadership, which shows an obtuse insensitivity or lack of perception particularly in matters of public sentiment, opinion, or taste, such as the one that Mrs. Joseph heard on the news the other day, one can only come to a singular conclusion… That there is a high propensity for sections of the government to be unwilling to align themselves with the reality on ground, thereby rendering that same government… Tone deaf. #NuffSaid
