Six years into his second term, no new hospitals were built. In fact, the existing ones have become cow sheds.
Hospital clowns are used to lessen pain of children and adolescents admitted to hospital with acute and chronic conditions.
Studies showed that children and adolescents who were in the presence of hospital clowns, either with or without a parent present, reported significantly less anxiety during a range of medical procedures, as well as improved psychological adjustment. Hospital clowns also reduced stress, fatigue, pain, and stress.
Recently, General Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu were special clowns at a London hospital purported to be receiving treatment for undisclosed ailments. Ironically, the duel nature of the two clowns being both funny, stupid, and horrifying give the characters their staying power in Nigerian politics. On the surface, the two are amusing, but underneath they are monstrous. The photo-op of the two clowns in London hospital that went viral must surely have provided a soothing balm for pain of other patients in the hospital.
Here’s the underlying truth about the two as clowns that pose incredible grim reality. Buhari was a military dictator. He had the opportunity to improve the country’s health care system by building a first rate hospital well equipped and staffed when he was military head of state. He failed to do so.
One of his campaign promises was to end overseas medical treatment for Nigerians. Another opportunity came knocking as president. Again, he failed to seize the opportunity to revolutionize heath care system in the country. Six years into his second term, no new hospitals were built. In fact, the existing ones have become cow sheds. While in London hospital, doctors back home embarked on nation wide strike. Nigerians were dying like flies because they didn’t have access to doctors.
The second clown, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu was Lagos State Governor for eight years. He didn’t do anything about the sordid state of health care in the state. Like Buhari, he built no new hospitals. Existing ones were not equipped. You can easily mistake them for animal hospitals. As clowns, the two are sick morally, physically, and spiritually than just being a synonym for fools as evidenced by making London hospital their permanent second homes.
The two clowns with sick smiles, and grinning teeth, felt special by displaying their clownish foolishness when millions of Nigerians are dying daily of preventable and treatable diseases. While they see themselves as enjoying first class medical treatment abroad, the civilized world sees them as shameful tragic figures leading Africa’s most populous country. God, what the hell is wrong with these two toddlers?