Opinion: Meningitis is Not a Divine Punishment by Kelechi Onyemaobi

A bizarre twist was added last week to the deadly outbreak of Cerebro-Spinal Meningi­tis (CSM) which has been spreading like a wild fire through the nation. The rampaging epidemic has spread through Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi and Niger states.
The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control has since confirmed the outbreak of CSM in Northern Nigeria. So far, more than 2,900 suspected cases have been recorded and investigated in the country – while no fewer than 324 persons have died from the disease.

Medical experts explain that meningitis is an in­flammation of the tissues (meninges) that surround the brain and spinal cord. The inflammation is most commonly caused by a virus or bacteria – giving rise to viral or bacterial meningitis.
This current outbreak of CSM, say the experts, started in the 2nd week of December 2016 – and has continued spreading through the land, especial­ly in the Northern states.
However, Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari, who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), reportedly attributed the current out­break of meningitis in the country to retributive jus­tice from God.
Governor Yari report­edly said in a media inter­view in Abuja on Tuesday, April 4, at the Presiden­tial Villa – after meeting with President Muham­madu Buhari: “There is no way fornication will be so rampant and God will not send a disease that cannot be cured. What we used to know as far as meningitis is concerned is the Type A virus. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has carried out vaccinations against this Type A virus not just in Zamfara, but many other states.
“However, because peo­ple refused to stop their nefarious activities, God now decided to send Type C virus, which has no vaccination. People have turned away from God and he has promised that ‘if you do anyhow, you see anyhow’; that is just the cause of this outbreak as far as I am concerned.”
It is strange, very strange indeed, that Gov. Yari, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, came all the way from Zamfara to Abuja to put his foot in his mouth.
For a Governor in one of the states of Nigeria, in this century, to go back to the mediaeval ages and attribute disease to divine punishment is, indeed, most unfortunate and most illogical – to say the very least.
Many of the national newspaper headlines of the following day, Wednes­day, April 5, 2017, bore testimony to Yari’s warped logic. “Meningitis Havoc. Death toll rises to 336. God is angry with Nigeria, says Zamfara Gov.” (Daily Sun); “Meningitis punish­ment from God, Gov Yari says”. (Daily Trust); “Men­ingitis is God’s punish­ment for fornication” (The AUTHORITY).
Out of the recorded number of deaths so far of 336, a total of 215 persons are reported to have died in Zamfara State alone. Yari is asserting, no doubt, that his state of Zamfara is the most promiscuous state in Nigeria – going by his argument.
Let’s not forget, Zamfara is also the state that pro­duced the famous Gov­ernor-Senator Yariman Bakwura, the husband of many children.
To extend Yari’s illogi­cality even further, it is be­cause of this great extent of evil-doing in Zamfara State that God has decided to bring forth his wrath on the hapless people of Zam­fara State – much more heavily than on all other states of the Federation put together.
As the Chief Executive Officer of Zamfara State, Gov Yari must know a lot more about the great com­mission of fornication, adultery, child-marriages and sundry immorality going on in Zamfara State than he is letting on – and as a result of which God has poured forth his wrath most mightily on Zamfara State than on any other state in the Federation.
Governor Yari, the me­diaeval imperial overlord, is simply demonising the very citizens of Zamfara State who elected him into office to serve them. It is so pathetic – Gov Yari’s warped logic.
Like many eminent Ni­gerians and ordinary Ni­gerians alike have pointed out to His Excellency, Cer­ebro-Spinal Meningitis is a disease – not a sin.
As Senator Ben Murray-Bruce riposted, “Menin­gitis is caused by bacte­ria, not sin. If sin caused meningitis, most of us politicians will get it; but it’s the poor who suffer it most. The real sin caus­ing meningitis is the sin of mismanaging the money budgeted to cure and pre­vent a disease that regu­larly affects Nigerians.”
The venerable Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanu­si, was quick to point out the warped logic of Yari’s assertions.
His words: “Some of the examples are horrendous. 200 people died of men­ingitis in a state, the gov­ernor was asked and he said it is God’s curse on us for the sin of fornication, which apparently does not happen in America, which is why they don’t have meningitis.”
“Meningitis is a medical issue…you don’t have vac­cines, say you don’t have vaccines. Get the vaccines. Treat those who have con­tracted it; don’t give these kinds of explanations. But this is the mind-set.”
I agree with the Senator and the Emir. The mind-set of some of the people who rule us in Nigeria is simply horrendous – and mediaeval.
The immortal Chinua Achebe affirmed, several decades ago, that “the trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a fail­ure of leadership”.
Nigeria is, indeed, a bi­zarre country, trapped in the warp of its arrested de­velopment and bad leader­ship – at virtually all levels.
Which is tragic. Very tragic indeed.