Opinion II Onu, COVID-19 And Nigerian-Made Ventilator

By Fred Nwaozor

The Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu recently enthused that the Federal Government (FG) was prepared to ensure the acclaimed giant of Africa could boast of mass production of ventilators soonest.
A ventilator is a machine that provides mechanical ventilation to the user by moving breathable air in and out of the lungs, towards delivering breaths to the patient (user) who’s physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently.
It’s noteworthy that modern ventilators are computerized microprocessor-controlled devices. However, patients can equally be ventilated with a simple hand-operated bag valve mask.
Ventilators are mainly used in intensive medical care, emergency units, and home care. It’s also administered in anesthesiology as a component of an anesthesia machine.
It’s worth noting that ventilators are sometimes referred to as respirators; a term commonly used for them in the 1950s. But in the contemporary hospital and medical terminology, a respirator is simply a protective face mask.
On its part, a respirator is a device specifically designed to protect the wearer from inhaling hazardous atmospheres, including fumes, vapours, gases and particulate matter such as dusts and airborne micro-organisms. It equally prevents an infected person from transmitting a contagious disease to the people around him/her.
Lest I digress; modern ventilators are electronically controlled by a small embedded system to allow exact adaptation of pressure and flow characteristics to an individual patient’s needs. Ventilators can also be equipped with monitoring and alarm system for patient-related parameters.
Penultimate week, precisely on Monday, 6th April 2020 – amidst the prevailing Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic that’s ravaging the global community, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in Nigeria graciously announced that the country could now boast of Nigerian-made ventilators.
The laudable notice by the NASENI Spokesman, Mr. Segun Ayeoyenikan, which equally disclosed that the agency had as well produced mobile sprayers to be used to disinfect Nigerian cities and homes, further informed the general public that the newly manufactured ventilators would be unveiled the following day being Tuesday by the Science and Technology Minister, Dr. Onu.
According to the press release, the lofty development was aimed at combating the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. It’s worthy of note that ventilator is a vital equipment meant for the treatment or control of the said disease and other related health challenges.
It would be recalled that recently, the FG via the Federal Ministry of Finance, begged an American billionaire for ventilators. The plea, which was widely perceived as a national embarrassment, was eventually withdrawn by the government. This could perhaps be the reason for recording this feat.
In a related development, few hours after the NASENI’s announcement, the teeming Nigerians were informed that a 20-year-old 200-Level undergraduate of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in Kaduna State, Mr. Usman Dalhatu had solely designed and produced a manual ventilator to be used in treating COVID-19 patients.
The young inventor, who reportedly hails from Gombe State, disclosed that it took him just 48 hours to manufacture the respiratory device. He, therefore, enthused that with adequate funding and technical supports from experts, he could mass produce the equipment within a short period.
More amazingly, Mr. Dalhatu who’s of Mechanical Engineering department, further revealed that the ventilator had already gotten a patent and trademark certificate, and currently was being sold in Abuja and Gombe States. He equally hinted that he had manufactured an electric cooking stove.
It’s not anymore news that this kind of talent is found all over our various learning institutions, but is invariably bedeviled by the continued lack of enabling environment. Probably, time has come for the fathomless cries of these folks to be heard.
Subsequently on 10th April 2020, the Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adeniyi Adebayo stated that the FG had opened discussions with Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing Company and other related indigenous firms toward producing ventilators in the country.
The boss who disclosed this in Abuja while updating pressmen on the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for the manufacturing sector, notified that the FG had received proposals from the aforementioned company – and other automobile firms domiciled in the country – to produce ventilators, and that the various memos were being considered.
This information came at the time when the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Engr. Mansur Ahmed revealed that Nigeria’s manufacturers had increased the country’s domestic production capacity for face masks from 2 million in February to 27 million now.
The Science and Technology Minister, Dr. Onu while launching the first set of the made-in-Nigeria ventilators and other devices in Abuja, noted that ventilators were currently scarce across the globe as countries continued to conserve the ones they had for their own citizens.
Dr. Onu who was represented by the Science Minister of State, Mr. Mohammed Abdullahi, further declared that the FG could not afford to watch Nigeria citizens die from the COVID-19 crisis, thus Nigerian engineers in NASENI were challenged by the government to come up with engineering remedies to tackle the menace.
Taking into cognizance the trending thus far in the Nigeria’s tech sector as regards the emergence of the global health challenge, a discerning mindset in the country wouldn’t hesitate to assert that this situation – unbearable though – could be a blessing in disguise.
The bedeviling circumstance might be the prize to pay – or sacrifice to render – by Nigeria and her likes to enable them wake up from slumber in the area of science and technology, which had long been relegated to the background.
Nigeria as a people must, thus, be prepared to key into this crusade that’s ostensibly targeted to uplift her ailing tech sector by embracing the realities of the day, which are so glaring even to the blind.
It’s quite appalling that at such a critical time like this that requires optimum research activities, the country’s various universities are totally under lock and key. This occurrence is an obvious indication that we as a nation still have a colossal distance to cover in the field of sciences.
It’s so disheartening that at a period when the selected brains are meant to spend their nights in the laboratories and what have you, our numerous science dons and professors are conspicuously busy cracking jokes or compiling myriad of comic lyrics at the comfort of their respective bedrooms. It’s indisputable that this set of Nigerians is being marred by apathy because they have been made to believe that the society doesn’t care about their inputs.
Dr. Onu and his team must hence use this moment to swing into action in earnest without further ado. There absolutely ought to be no reason to import ventilators and allied materials while we can boast of all it requires – ranging from talent, patent to resources – to manufacture for ourselves. The only parameter that’s presently lacking in the system is the needed political will.
This is, therefore, a clarion call for us to start producing what we intend to consume. Anything short of this might unleash doom. Think about it!

Comrade Nwaozor, TheMediaAmbassador, is the
Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub (DRH) - Owerri
__________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
Follow me: @mediambassador

Fiction II THIS LONELY PATHWAY

By Fred Nwaozor

I will wear my mask
While I do my work.
Yes, even on a mast
And as I take a walk.

This is to avoid a blast
From the new Corona
Who has come in vast
To maim my new Corolla.

I'm now on the alert
To strangle the pandemic,
Even as the bank alert
Ceased to enter my pan-den.

Let's lock-up the doors
While the lock-down lasts.

Fred Nwaozor
Poet, Novelist & Playwright

Opinion II Uzodimma's 100 Days: All Eyes On Imo

By Toni Wakiki Akuneme





In his inaugural address to Imo people in January this year, as their 6th democratically elected governor, Senator Hope Odidika Uzodinma reiterated his commitment to purposeful governance benchmarked by free enterprise, social security and rule of law. He pledged (on oath) to "restore financial discipline, entrench due process and conduct government business in the most transparent manner "

I met the man Sen. Hope Uzodimma sometime in 2011 when my cousin, Hon Uche Obiozor, presented me to him as his constituent who was posted to the Nigeria High Commission in Ottawa, Canada as Immigration attaché (then he had just become the senator for my Orlu Zone).

The next time I met Sen. Uzodimma again was in 2015 when I just returned to Nigeria after my foreign service and he had asked to meet with the youths of my town, as part of his non partisan constituency briefing. Fortuitously, I was nominated unanimously to tell the distinguished senator, the expectations of Awo-Omamma youths. After that meeting which held in the home of one of our elder statesmen, Sir Jerry Onuwa, the senator held my hand and whispered to me, "no wonder they made you their spokesman ". I smiled.

We never met again until in 2017 when I was elected president of the global forum for all Awo-Omamma people (ADF) and we paid the senator a courtesy visit in his Abuja office. Again, we interacted cordially on the need to include Awo-Omamma in his constituency program and projects. Instantly, the obviously impressed senator, asked his then Legislative Assistant, Ralph Nwosu, to allocate one civic center, one solar borehole and two feeder roads for Awo-Omamma community in their list of NDDC interventions. The borehole was completed within few weeks while the roads are still under construction and the civic center has been published by NDDC in their 2019 projects but yet to be commenced.

I cut a deep impression of the man Hope Uzodimma after those meetings and other more intimate contacts I had with him later on in 2017 and 2018 in company of my cousin Alloy Nnawugo, his classmate way back from Mgbidi Boys college, who always visited from London. I never saw Sen. Uzodimma as someone who pretended to be perfect. He rather came across as a simple, friendly but highly focused man who knew exactly what he wanted from life and possessed an unambiguous and charming style for pursuing his life's ambition.

Fast forward to January 2020 and behold Sen. Uzodimma had become the Executive Governor of Imo State after a two time stint in the Nigerian Red Chamber. The New Imo Governor must have come prepared, having had his eyes on the crystal ball in Douglas House since 2003, seventeen clear years before he finally wrestled the coveted seat from Mr Emeka Ihedioha of the rival People's Democratic Party.

I have no doubt that the new governor has come on board with an uncommon zeal that is already energizing the entire state towards sustainable development founded on inclusiveness and collective responsibility. His robust political experience and active Legislative career at the federal level must have equally exposed him to policymaking cum leadership strategies and skill sets that will help him navigate the curves of statecraft in his avowed bid to achieve the New Imo of his dreams.

I am convinced that Sen. Uzodimma fully understands the need to very quickly impress Ndi Imo who may not afford him a second chance for a good first impression, given their checkered political experience and against the backdrop of the remarkably divine way in which he launched himself into Douglas House, beginning with his dislodging of the Okorocha hold on Imo and then the unseating of an Ihedioha who claimed to be the governor albeit not meeting the mandatory two third spread of votes cast in the 27 local government areas of the State.

Recent political history in Nigeria shows that such governors who reclaimed their mandates by divine Judicial intervention like the Peter Obis and the Rotimi Amechis, wasted no time in giving their people real QUALITY service delivery, being naturally fired up by their peculiar circumstances.

Sen. Uzodimma is not likely to be any different, judging by his sure and steady flow in the last 100 days of his administration, by way of citizen based governance. His first moves included the continuation of all genuine policies and programmes initiated by the ousted, ill fated government of Mr Ihedioha, to truly underscore that government was a CONTINUUM, such as retaining the famous water engineer Emeka Ugoanyanwu who has started the reactivation of the hitherto moribund Otammiri Water scheme, retaining all the road construction contractors in the state especially in the state capital, Owerri, retaining all the panels of enquiries instituted by Mr Ihedioha against the activities of former governor Okorocha, prompt payment of workers salaries and pensions but with a caveat that only physically identified persons will be captured. No more ghost workers and ghost pensioners.

Other salient but silent milestones of the Uzodimma's administration that are not easily discernible to the uninitiated, include the prompt signing into law the bill on Enhanced Criminal Justice Administration which aims at simplifying complex court proceedings and decongesting the prisons in line with Federal Government Reform efforts to make Nigeria Prisons more of Correctional facilities than punitive. Thus, innovations like speedy trials, alternatives to imprisonment such as Community paroles and Plea bargaining will be the hallmarks of Justice administration in Imo state which becomes one of the few states to domesticate this new law in consonance with the Federal government.

Sen. Uzodimma's greatest achievement in the past three months is unarguably his ability to forestall the entry of the dreaded Corona virus into the entire Imo state, which has received both local and International commendations. Doubtless the total lockdown of the state naturally affected social and economic development in the state especially the arrival of dozens of foreign investors that had been issued visas for business meetings with the governor and his team.

Some of these investors were to come from Japan to discuss alternative power generation and distribution potentials in the state, while another group from Canada were set to arrive Owerri for high level discussions on livestock and other agro based services. A third group from Israel had also gotten their visas to come for signing of agreements on affordable housing and construction projects and the beauty of all these engagements is that they are bringing their own funding from offshore and all imo government is expected to provide is just the enabling environment and political will to drive these businesses with the attendant multiplier job creating potentials.

Sen. Uzodimma sure has such political sagacity in quantum deposits and little wonder he prefers to call himself the Oracle of PROSPERITY as he gears up not just to create wealth for nde Imo but also to ensure that such wealth is equitably distributed among the rich and the poor with Special focus on the vulnerable groups in the state. The governor is fully convinced that if a greater percentage of imolites are gainfully employed, crime will reduce, tourism, for which Owerri has come to be known, will triple and Imo will become more prosperous.

Already, once the lockdown is over, the governor is personally set to engage the leadership of major professional organizations like NBA, NMA, ICAN, COREN, NUT, NLC, and so on, so they can come to Owerri for their Annual General Meetings, which he will personally attend the opening ceremonies and encourage the government owned hotel to offer them free venues and discounted rooms and services. The idea, which Uzodimma copied from the city of Miami, is to ensure that all round the year, the state capital and its environ will remain busy with activities such that hoteliers, restaurants, beer pubs, cab drivers, business owners and other tour operators will be fully engaged from January to December. With this plans comes the massive reorientation of all major stakeholders in the tourism sector to ensure that visitors to imo state go away with the desire to come back again and again, based on a solid impression.

The governor is committed to upgrading the infrastructural and environmental systems around the state, with urgent emphasis on Owerri the capital. He literally has taken over the daily supervision of waste disposal and monitoring of on going road construction projects in the state.

Sen. Uzodimma is so passionate about the Recovery, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of the New Imo he visualizes that he has vowed to go round by midnight once the lockdown is over, to physically inspect street lights, pot holes, security patrols and traffic lights to be sure that contractors don't try to compromise his aides. He Hope's to make the state free from such abuse like littering the streets and urinating publicly as first offenders will be used as scapegoats to test the determination of the state.

Sen. Uzodimma is aware that all eyes are on him, having made clear promises during his campaigns and inauguration. He does not have any slightest plans to go back on those promises. He sees the whole process of governance and politics as a hobby and is not in it for personal aggrandizement.

Sen. Uzodimma has a date with destiny and will rather quit than try to shortchange Ndi Imo. Uzodimma ultimately wants to make Imo the symbol of QUALITY east of the Niger. Quality people. Quality products. Quality services. Uzodimma has already dusted the original master plan for the state as created by the legendary Dr Sam Mbakwe and is willing and able to reinvent the New Imo of Mbakwe's dreams, which successive governments ignored.

Sen. Uzodimma will engage with all stakeholders in periodic town-hall meetings to review his strategies and plan new ones. At the end, all Sen. Uzodimma wants is for Ndi Imo to get the good life while God alone takes all the glory.

Let the Corona virus pandemic go away, so the good times can begin.

Toni Wakiki Akuneme
Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor, writes from Awo-Omamma.