Sanitary Rants
Monday Megaphonic Musing
It's been quite a while, and I know you have missed the Rants. So sorry about the long absence.
Noise is not always a Nuisance! Yes, noise is a nuisance and sometimes very unpleasant to the ears but on very many occasions it is a tool to getting the right attention. On some occasions noise attracts and helps to draw people close so that what is neglected is seen, and the needed help is drawn.
This is the reason why there is noise in the market place. If your voice isn't loud enough, you will be drowned out by the seriousness and genuineness of others. The loudest calling of buyers of one seller works above others.
In a very competitive environment where people are calling for relevance in what they do, that is not the time to keep silent. It is not all the time that when you work in silence that your result makes the noise. Sometimes, you need to blow your own trumpet.
We have seen this works with NAFDAC and NESREA. This must also be the case of Environmental Health around the world and more particularly in Nigeria.
If anyone says that Environmental Health Officers are not working in Nigeria, the person is either ignorant, working in self-denial or being outrightly mischievous. EHOs in Nigeria are working despite the monumental challenges being faced in the course of duties.
The way Environmental Health practice is still structured in Nigeria today in itself is a huge setback for the job. The decentralized nature of practice where each local and State Government decide what happens there is a huge layback. Even with the Advent of EHORECON the Regulatory body, only a little has been affected.
It is not possible, as of the moment, for chain of command to come from a central point, we all do what we seem correct in our sight.
However on a daily basis, EHOs go out for inspections, detect and abate Nuisances, prosecute cases, get judgements, effect arrests, educate people, prevent outbreak of diseases, bury unclaimed corpses, stop sales of unsound food, enforce closing and abatement orders, carry out successful decontamination and fumigation exercises among many other very important day to day activities. These activities go on simultaneously in every part of Nigeria on a DAILY BASIS! But they go on UNNOTICED!
Yet, we get knocked daily for inactivity. Yet, people get to call us out daily. Yet, we get attacked by members of the public for some works still left undone. Yet, we vilify one another for inactivity too. Not because we aren't doing the work, but because no one is seeing or hearing what we have been doing.
I wonder why people still praise the Medical Doctors and Midwives even when we still have a high rate of maternal mortality in Nigeria. Because people see and appreciate what they do despite the glaring failures. Even despite the huge corruption, delays and miscarriage of Justice in the judiciary, the Lawyers and Magistrates are still seen working. Why? We see and hear of their exploits despites the high rate of failures too.
It is high time Environmental Health Practice in Nigeria get its own loud Megaphone and blow her trumpet. It is high time we let the world in general and Nigeria in particular know what we have been doing and how we have been doing it in the face of humongous challenges.
Enough of the murmurings and the complaints from within and allowing the noise from outside to drown us out. We are in the proverbial market place and we must not allow the voice of others drown us out. Permit me to add that this has little or nothing to do with internal politics or squabbles. Professional bodies have internal issues all the time but this must not be a distraction to getting our voice out in the market place.
Now what are the suggestions? Below are just my own thoughts.
At this very critical moment when we have a wonderful and supportive Minister for Environment and a pandemic that has brought us to the fore once again, it is ripe that we have a powerful Public Relations Unit or Commission.
Some years back when I had to be in a committee set up by the Uwagbale Administration, one of our suggestions was the creation of an Environmental Health Commission from the office of the Vice President. However, since getting the attention of that office may not work as envisaged, we can have and fund that Commission until it gets the Government attention.
What exactly will that Commission be saddled with? It will be the Voice of Environmental Health Practice in Nigeria, shouting loud the achievements and successes of Environmental Health in Nigeria, criticising Government where there is policy somersault. Attacking opposing and dissenting voices.
The Commission will hype activities of private practice and extol the virtues of preventive health. They will be on the News daily on TV and Radio, showing the white and brown to the world. And with the help of the Social Media push news to every available space.
It will be advisable that the Commission be led by a Vibrant, ebulent, outspoken, and Experienced EHO with Public Relations experience. This should have nothing to do with age, tribe or year of graduation! For a start, the number of Practitioners in the Commission may not even be more than six or seven.
It is counterproductive to be reactive all the time, it pays to be proactive. I urge that we put our best foot forward all the time and let our enemies and detractors be on the defensive.
The idea of a EHC is a long and tall one. It is huge but not impossible. It will cost money and I'm sure our first question is how do we fund it? It will surely be funded by us for a start. All the organs in the Environmental Health Practice in Nigeria will fund it alongside the successful Private practice.
In the interim however, EHORECON needs to step up to have a vibrant Public Relations Unit. One, not headed by just a media person, but by an EHO who have such experience too and can speak of the practice to the world.
All in all, Environmental Health needs a loud megaphone at this critical point in time. We need to make the noise and be heard by the world. It is now or never or else our voices will be drowned out by the many forces willing to step up and take over this lovely profession.
Your contributions to this very important discussion will be appreciated.
Femi Abolade is a Licensed EHO, Writer, Author, Teacher and Public Speaker.
+234 807 427 5257
femibolade12@gmail.com
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