Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has criticised the response of the Nigerian government and religious leaders to the coronavirus. Over the weekend some preachers in the West African country ignored government directives about social distancing and went ahead with Sunday services, which were attended by thousands of congregants. The author, who lives in Nigeria which has 46 cases of Covid-19, told the BBC’s Charles Mgbolu, “They have been treated with kid gloves for too long… I think there is too much political correctness going on. What the government should do in such instances is to take note of these contraveners of common sense and ensure that they are punished after this crisis is over or at some point or the other.” Soyinka said the government should have had enough isolation centres, well-stocked pharmacies and research centres that would have helped deal with the crisis. Prof Soyinka has been in self-isolation for nine days after returning from the United States.
SOURCE: BBC