For politicians, particularly those in the reins of government, this era of COVID-19 pandemic is a very trying one. It is a time that a politician would wish that his opponents (and not himself and your party) are in power. Conversely, this is the time politicians (particularly those who feel that they were robbed of victory during the election) would be rejoicing that their political ‘enemies’ are the ones in power to fight this COVID-19 invisible war. For those of them who have been sobbing their heart out since after the loss, perhaps this is the time they would heave a sigh of relief. Why? You may inquisitively ask.
‘Globalization and its Discontents’ was the title of an authoritative book published in 2002 by Professor Joseph Eugene Stiglitz, who was the winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2001. A cerebral scholar, Stiglitz among other places, taught in three prestigious Ivy League Universities in the United States namely Yale, Harvard, and Columbia. Prof. Stiglitz served as the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Bill Clinton, and later served as the senior vice-president of the World Bank as well as its Chief Economist. Stiglitz’s book was inspired by his disillusionment with the operations of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other related international institutions like the World Bank, particularly how their policies negatively impact on developing countries.
Prof. Stiglitz deserves this diversionary mention in this article for what he stood for in the quest for a better international economic order. The choice of the title of our article here today was inspired by the title of his book. If you think of the synonyms of discontent such as dissatisfaction, disgruntlement, gloominess, sadness, restlessness, unhappiness, and displeasure, then you will get a full sense of how a great number of politicians in government (all over the world currently) are feeling under the heavy economic burden imposed by COVID-19 pandemic.
There is little doubt that this is the most unsettling times for politicians all over the world particularly in a country such as Nigeria that depends on oil revenue for her economic survival. With the oil price in the international market coming down to as low as US$11 a barrel, Nigeria is in dire economic situation. Politicians in government (no matter how stoically made) are therefore experiencing serious discontents with the unfulfilled demands of statecraft particularly the economic needs of their people.
From Washington DC, to London, and to Moscow, and to other capitals across the world, the story of political discontents is the same. President Donald Trump of the United States of America never bargained for what he is going through since the COVID-19 index got into the US. President Trump had few months ago waved aside the imminent danger posed by coronavirus when the disease was still far away in Wuhan, China.
In his characteristic Machiavellian living-in-denial antics, President Trump said about two months ago that COVID-19 in the US was under control. But since the virus entered the US, he has been one of the most uncomfortable presidents around the world helplessly jumping from one solution to the other for a cure of the virus (e.g. first it was hydryroxychloroquine, and the latest one ‘injection of disinfectant’ as treatment for coronavirus). Again, his obsession with lifting the lockdown restrictions, and reopening the American economy for business, against strong advice by epidemiologists and other top US scientists, reveals the heart of a troubled president of ‘the most powerful country on earth’. He must be going through one of the COVID-19 worst nightmares by any political leader now. Indeed, President Trump appears to be one of the most discontented ‘powerful’ presidents in the world, and this is why Senator (Mrs.) Hilary Clinton should be thankful now for not being the one at the heat of the fight against this politically disconcerting pandemic. From all indications across the world, it appears that COVID-19 pandemic is making a political statement that is yet to unfold fully, and be well comprehended.
British Prime Minister, Mr. Boris Johnson (lucky survivor of COVID-19) can tell the story better about the helplessness and sadness of being in public office to confront a strong and unseen enemy called coronavirus. Prime Minister Johnson is a ‘powerless occupant’ of this powerful Office of the British Prime Minister which many of the colonised people from the present day Commonwealth of Nations, thought (those years) were gods who had answers to every human problem. His immediate predecessor, Mrs. Theresa May would no doubt be thanking God and counting herself very lucky not to be going through this additional burden aside her long nightmare over Brexit conundrum.
As for President Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia is hardly heard these days (courtesy of COVID-19 pandemic). Putin a Machiavellian politician par excellence appears to have been ‘cowed’ as other powerful politicians by COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, here was a man before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic busy perfecting his Machiavellian dexterity to effect his usual constitutional amendment in order to enable him remain in power perhaps ‘perpetually’. All is in abeyance now (albeit temporarily), courtesy of COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 political discontent is indeed real.
Coming home to Nigeria, we know that the allures of public office have always made politicians do anything to grab and cling to POWER which they consider an inestimable elixir of their life. Elections at every level in Nigeria have always been a matter of life and death for politicians, but right now, COVID-19 has been declared the new matter of life and death. As we witnessed in the 2019 general elections in Nigeria, some politicians actually committed all manner of atrocities in order to gain or remain in power. But frankly speaking, this is time a politician wishes his opponent or enemy remains in power and not himself. What a political statement by COVID-19?
Moreover, those in power in Nigeria are like ‘Naira-less and Kobo-less’ parents who are desperately looking for where to borrow money to feed their children. It is not a joke to hear governments asking for debt relief, debt rescheduling, and/or debt forgiveness from multilateral organisations. ECOWAS leaders have just demanded cancellation of all African debts. For these leaders, debt forgiveness is the way to survive in this COVID-19 imposed harsh economic condition. It is no joke that some Nigerians were disappointed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) did not include the country among the 25 countries granted debt servicing relief recently. The fiscal crisis of the state (James O’Connor’s title first published in 1973 by St. Martin’s Press, New York) is presently confronting Nigeria more tellingly. Dr. Oby Ezekwezili has even asked China (in an opinion article) to pay reparation to Africa for the incalculable damages which its Wuhan-originated virus has done. A US State of Missouri has sued China claiming damages for her failure to prevent the spread of coronavirus. All governments need money now more than ever before.
The bottom-line is that governments all over the world have become over-stretched by the increased burden of managing COVID-19 pandemic and its imposed financial crisis. Some governments are increasingly becoming financially distressed, while some others are already financially distressed. The IMF has declared a global recession with 80 countries requesting for emergency financial assistance as of March 2020 (see for instance https://news.bitcoin.com/imf-declares-global-recession/). COVID-19 is making a political statement which political leaders should carefully study. And this is the time to test their strength regardless of the level of their COVID-19 imposed discontents.
Prof. Isaac N. Obasi, a public policy expert teaches in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Abuja. Email: nnamdizik@gmail.com
