Lessons from Chile

However, the round-the clock coverage of the amazing rescue of the 33 trapped miners in San Jose, Chile, has forced one to draw parallels with the Latin American nation teaching global lessons on handling crisis and hoping that even as our own saga continues, we would learn a few lessons that would bolster the natural […]

However, the round-the clock coverage of the amazing rescue of the 33 trapped miners in San Jose, Chile, has forced one to draw parallels with the Latin American nation teaching global lessons on handling crisis and hoping that even as our own saga continues, we would learn a few lessons that would bolster the natural patriotic instinct present in every Nigerian. We have just celebrated a bloody 50th anniversary, and in spite of the blast, the official ceremonies went ahead and Nigerians could still be seen adorning the beautiful colours of our country’s flag flailing on top of rickety buses and on the dashboard of car passenger seats. The average Nigerian may be a tribalist but inherent in him is that patriotic instinct that makes him a hard-core Nigerian. It is this inherent contradiction that makes ours the greatest country on planet earth and its citizenry true patriots in spite of the warts and all.

There is no need to draw much parallel between what, for over two months started as a tragedy for Chile but is ending quite well. The fact that the Chilean President took the issue of the trapped miners very personal taking time off his presidential duties to direct affairs and to rally his nation in conciliatory terms in their moment of need; the fact that he continued to personally monitor events is already something to gladden the heart of Chileans and friends of Chile who stood glued to their TV screens as the tear-jerking rescue progressed.

It is sobering to note that 12 nationals of Nigeria lost their lives in the horrendous incident of October 1 and that it took our President almost 48 hours to visit them. During that visit, Mr President did not make any offers. He spoke with the victims quite alright, but that was it. The rest was politicized. The nation and its caravan of news have moved on since then. The tragedy, for the relatives of both the wounded and the dead has become personal rather than national. It is expected that the government would foot the bills for the wounded and bear the cost of a befitting burial for the dead.

It is not too much a sacrifice after we have squandered billions on celebrating mere flag independence. If a minister or other top government functionary had been injured in the blast, government would not have spared any expenditure, including air-ambulancing them to the poshest hospital anywhere in the world. But here are people buoyed by patriotism to either their untimely grave or the hospital being treated as if they do not matter.

As I write, we have only bits and pieces of information about the dead – they are to Nigeria – nameless. There is no talk of erecting a befitting cenotaph for them in a corner of Eagle Square when our lazy legislatures returned from their undeserved break. Instead, one tried unsuccessfully to get a commendation for a presidential faux pas that is tearing at the fabrics of our national existence. Thank God he failed. It is not too late if President Jonathan gets off his politicking high horse to think and act as the President of Nigeria and not the candidate for 2011 elections. Whether he is conscious of it or not, the ship of state rests squarely in his hands. These people deserve more than the traditional one minute silence.

It would not be out of place for national broadcasters to continue to devote a minute of their network belt to giving us updates on the victims until the last person is out of hospital. If they can get details of private text messages, surely it does not cost them anything extra to get us updates on these reluctant heroes. At the weekly contract awarding meetings, the two ministers of information should brief the nation on what government is doing and assure us that our president is on top of the situation. This is the core of governance (the welfare of the people) in case they do not know.

The independent media ought to share in the grief of the nation by updating us about the unique lives of victims. It seemed as if we lazily stopped coverage the moment the victims were lifted to hospital and latched on to the politics of their tragedy, totally abandoning them to their fate in the process. Surely, there must be something unique about these people, how they lived, their dreams, how they left home that sad morning etc.

With tears rolling down my eyes, I felt quite jealous to see Chilean officials waiting it out at the mine entrance – what else could be more pressing, governance is about people and he stood with them in their grief. A presidential hug and a handshake is a medal these survivors would hardly forget. Little wonder the popularity rating of President Sebastien Pinera from 47 to 57 per cent with his handling of the event. Mining Minister, Laurence Golborne had his rising from 16% to 86 per cent. Mention must be made of the role of the Chilean Navy in designing the winch which was used for the rescue. Chileans took pride in their government and its organs to rise to the occasion. They also set a global mine rescue precedent not likely to be forgotten in a hurry. Enough to make any Chilean feel proud of his country’s colours beyond Independence Day?