By Emmanuel Enebeli
Just like anything man is involved with, there are always those who are ready to express an opposing view on certain issues, with what they may consider strong evidences, sometimes they try to back such with religious biases
In November 2019, the world witnessed for the first time a strange virus disease, which was later classified amongst the coronavirus family, and was then named COVID-19, the Novel virus because of its ease of spread, and killing became worrisome, especially when the source country is considered suspicious because of its secretive ways of engaging in economic and social activities.
One disturbing facts from the onset of the virus, was how many country and institutions took it with levity. Even countries like the United State of America, USA, under the rule of President Donald Trump, played politics with it, with the fallout being a massive death amongst the American population. The man the people looked up to, disregarded all the experts warnings. He refused to wear facemask, which experts advised should, amongst other measures be used to curtail its spread.
At the religious angle, it became a serious faith challenge, as many religious homes, Christian and Muslim told their members that the COVID-19 virus is a false alarm. The men and women preached against the presence of the virus. They considered it a conspiracy theory, meant for the good of the research companies to advance the sales of their products, especially medical products. As if that was not enough, many attributed it to the next generation of telecom devices, the 5th Generation. Articles, videos and audio productions were either writing, or produced to prove to their followers that just some few persons in the world is trying to control the world with their money and technology.
While this was going on, the world continues to pursue ways of combating the pandemic. Researches were been done for medicines and vaccines. But still those who say nothing like coronavirus continue to tell the world not to listen to the scientific world. Many were dying in their droves in America and Europe, including other countries.
However, with consistency, the world pursued for a means to combat the rate of infection, and vaccines were discovered that can reduce its spread amongst the population of the world. Now that this had been found, the naysayers continued in their falsehood. A conspiracy Theory of various issues, which they either link to the mark of 666 in the book of Revelation or a process of the more advanced economy, is to reduce the population of the less economy based countries of the world.
These schools of thoughts have continued to carryout their trade of preaching against the administration of any curative or preventive substance that will ease the spread of the pandemic virus, which is ravaging many parts of the world. All in the name of religion mostly, or otherwise.
From observation, these theorists come from the mostly poor nations of the world. Where the medical facilities is in the lowest ebb. They continue to dish out falsehood to the population, using verses of the scripture to back their claims. Thus endangering our weak health systems especially in places like Nigeria.
And now that the vaccine had entered the world, it’s expected, that more enlightenment programmes be done to disabuse the minds of the population on the so called negative messages been peddled by these conspiracy theorists, for the programme on the vaccine immunization to be successful. The world, nay African countries cannot standby to watch these rumours which are focused on personal benefits, if allowed to fester will create a huge problem in the future.
Most countries had other pandemics, like wars, kidnapping, banditry attacks, economic recession to already contend with, we cannot afford to allow falsehood, in the name of religion, or political interests to continue.
The Novel Coronavirus is real, if what we are seeing or had seen in the streets of United States of America, Europe, Brazil and other advanced economies seems far from us, let us check our isolation wards in Nigeria, and know if it’s real or false.
Now that the vaccine is here, let us embrace it, take it along with our love ones, and we will be glad will did. Let us kill that conspiracy theory. By working with the government of the day. The existence of the virus is real, and its killing in droves in our homes and streets.
