The year 2020 has been the toughest, as long as I can remember. It is also a year that produced some surprising positive developments.
A year filled with events of historic proportion; from Covid-19, a pandemic whose impact devastated the entire globe, claiming over 1.6m victims and still counting, to a royalty who sacrificed his privileges and even possibly the Crown for love.
Yet, another royalty in another kingdom took the bull by the horns to effect a surprising action that changed the middle-east politics forever.
The most impacting however, is the Covid-19 pandemic. While vaccine that could halt the virus has already been found, it may take months or even years for some poor countries to procure.
It may also take years for majority of countries to recover from the economic losses suffered. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), between April and June 2020 which was the pick period, 400 million fulltime jobs were lost across the world and income earned by workers globally fell by about 10 percent in the first nine months, equivalent to a loss of over $3.5 trilion.
The global reaction and the grim focus by pundits, may have been exaggerated a little bit. No country as of now has a marshal plan per se, but most countries had in the past exhibited resilience and were able to come out from similar situations faster than anticipated.
In no particular order, I list below, persons that in my opinion, deserve a pat on the back for their contribution to society, their stand on issues or actions they took, no matter how controversial or selfish you may think it is:
- NIGERIA’S PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON COVI-19
No doubt, the PTF, headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustafa, has done an excellent job since its innaguration on March 9. It was able to issue advise to Nigerians on the need to observe the protocols of the Covid-19 global practices.
Where necessary, lockdown was imposed, travel restriction both local and international were enforced and reviewed appropriately.
Food and other essentials were also distributed to cushion hardships suffered by Nigerians during the period. This is one assignment that if given to the wrong people, the Covid-19 devastation would have been unimaginable. Kudos to the team.
- PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX
Prince Harry who at birth was the third in line to inherit the British throne, saw himself slowly edged out as the three children of his brother, William, pushed him down to number six. But not becoming king is by no means a loss. The Duke title and other special assignments would have kept Harry busy for the rest of his life as a senior royal.
He however chose to abandon all the riches, the fame and follow his heart to America, a land primarily founded by those who spite the British aristocracy and exiled themselves to the land of the free.
It is not the first time that a member of the British royal family abandoned the crown for love. The Queen’s uncle, King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in less than a year on it for a woman.
He fell in love with an American divorcee and socialite, Wallis Simpson. Under the royal ethics, the King cannot marry a divorcee. He chose to be with Wallis and moved to France. He died in 1972.
Like King Edward, Harry’s love for his wife, Meghan Markle, is only fit for the movies. He broke all the unconventional unwritten rules concerning the conduct of a British royal, especially those in line as heirs to the crown; he married an African-American divorcee.
Marrying a divorcee is one thing, but to a black woman, is in the extreme and an unforgivable sin in a society where racism is still far from over. The conservative British tabloids and television commentators went for his jugular since day one. Early this year, he could not take it anymore, shelved everything and moved to Hollywood, California, the birth city of his wife.
- PROFESSOR UMARA BABAGANA ZULUM, GOVERNOR, BORNO STATE
Unarguably, the most active and busiest state governor in Nigeria today. He reminds me of the “24” television series featuring Kieffer Sutherland.
In all the episodes, there is not a free second that is not an action scene. Zulum is always on the move; inspecting projects, commissioning projects, visiting IDP camps, constructing houses for IDPs, commensurating with families of victims of Boko Haram attacks, distributing cash and kind to victims whether in Borno or neibouring Niger, Chad or Cameroon. visiting the war front (against advise of military and security personnel). He once said: I would rather die working for my people, than leaving them to their fate.” He deserves a special national honour.
- MOHAMMAD BIN SALMAN (MBS), CROWN PRINCE OF SAUDI ARABIA
Like him or hate him, Mohammad bin Salman, the Crown Prince and heir to the throne of this Hijaz Arabian kingdom has changed his country and the middle-east politics forever.
Dubbed as the de-facto leader, but officially, holding the post of Deputy Prime Minister (the King is the Prime Minisrer), MBS introduced revolutionary changes that nobody foresaw would happen in Saudi Arabia, this early. An Islamic country that until the advent of his stewardship, was strictly governed under the Shari’a law of Qur’an and Hadith to the letter.
In the last two years, MBS disbanded the religious enforcement police, relaxed the law on women guardianship, law against women driving and law against women going to the stadium to watch games. Cinemas and concerts are now allowed, while the borders are open to non-Muslim tourists as well as Muslims.
He also mobilized the gulf countries of Bahrain and the UAE to defend Yemen from the influence of Iran and in the process, it forced Qatar to remain isolated. In the last one month or so, these Saudi allies did the unthinkable; signed diplomatic relations with Israel. Morocco and Sudan are the latest Arab countries to establish ties with the Jewish country. Pundits believe that this would not have been possible without the blessings of MBS. His country being the custodian of the two holy mosques is the only reason why he cannot come out at this moment to openly sign diplomatic relations with Israel. Such an action will give Iran the ammunition to roast the integrity of the Crown Prince and would certainly call for worldwide Muslims action against the Al-Saud family.
May the world welcome a better 2021 for mankind
Iyawa is former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico
