Of a dog going after its vomit, a sick nation in need of 'Loliondo cure'

The once little known former man of the cloth, Ambilikile Masapila, or Babu wa Loliondo as he is now affectionately known, continues to get free advertisement as the media continue being awash with stories of the goings on in that small and remote village. With a desperate nation seemingly having found a desperate solution to their problems, then everyone will be forgiven for being AWOL at work in the name of seeking treatment in Loliondo.

As I put pen to paper, thousands of people continue to flock to the little village which prior to this incident was unknown. But, what I know for sure is that not every patient has found his or her way there. Because of one reason or the other, thousands of people have failed or are just not interested to consult our Babu.

There is nothing Babu can do because we say ‘anayeugua ndiye anatafuta mganga.’ My heart bleeds for those who wanted to go and receive their miracle healing but don't have the means to do so. On the same footing, I just wished if our dear babu could heal our country from various ailments.

If he can have the powers to heal terminal diseases such as HIV/AIDS, whose cure has remained a nightmare for scientists and the medical profession for the past three decades, then I believe he could be in a position to heal the whole nation.

Whether the magical cure works or not is another issue, but I believe we are a sick nation in need of treatment. It is common knowledge that power rationing is now part and parcel of our everyday life. The economy is bleeding, with inflation taking its toll. Food prices are skyrocketing and very soon they will be beyond the reach of many.

Fuel prices in some places have hit the 2000/- per litre mark and with the look of the things, no hope is left for the ordinary citizen. The daladala fares were recently hiked and with fuel prices continuing to skyrocket, it won't be surprising to have another fare hike pretty soon.

The Dowans issue continues haunting us, and with the almost 100bn/- carrot dangling, the company's official will do anything to claim it or make sure that they put on sheep's clothings and try to court the government into either buying or entering into another contract. What can stop them from doing so, with the government's stance registered a seemingly intent to buy the generators.

The recent move by the government aimed at moving a bill proposing changes in the procurement law in the National Assembly is undoubtedly another way of trying to smuggle the Dowans saga and by the end of the day, end up buying the old generators. This is so in that the proposed bill, if passed, will enable the government to purchase used items where the move would be in the interest of the national economy.

The purchase of the Dowans generators qualifies in this category as it will be in the interest of the national economy that is bleeding from power shortages. No one will fault the government for acquiring the plant in these difficult times and I would bet my last shilling that wananchi will praise the government for saving them from the electricity nightmare.

The government should borrow a leaf from our fore fathers who coined the saying that ‘mbwa hali matapishi yake.’ As we speak, the Dowans' deal is like matapishi to the government as the parliament clearly declared the contract as null and void. There was a general outcry as there were allegations that the deal was mysterious and that there were people who wanted to benefit from the deal hence it was cancelled.

So, the act of buying the Dowans generators is tantamount to that of a dog that defies nature and goes after its vomit. No matter how desperate we might be, there is need for the government to come up with solid measures and a permanent solution to the power problem than trying to solve a problem by creating another problem. The pace by the powers that be to solve the Dowans issue is also suspect and it seems the sudden silence might be a deliberate move to drag the issue until a certain time when it will be conducive for the other part to buy the generators. With all this, who can doubt that the nation is sick and is in need of the Loliondo type of cure.

As if all the other problems were not enough, the recent purchase by the government of motorcycle ambulances is not only a cause for concern but also shows how desperate we have become as a nation. The motorcycle ambulances are meant to be used in rural areas where in most cases roads are nonexistent or where the gravel roads are muddy and impassable during rain seasons. After all, the ambulances are not all weather user friendly as it will be difficult to carry patients when it's raining or when it's too hot.

The motorcycles will instead become a danger to our pregnant women and mothers as it will be difficult to use them in places where 4x4 vehicles have failed. Ferrying patients in need of medical attention while they are being transported will be a nonstarter as the motorcycles don't have enough room for that. The fact that these bajaji's have been used successfully in other countries such as Malawi does not guarantee their success in this country.

When people fail to decently bury their own dead, then it's a sign of an ailing nation. The Mwananyamala saga that saw ten infants' bodies being discovered in one shallow pit, passed for a grave tells us a lot. Who can query that we have been bewitched by the dead. Crimes are on the increase, incidences of parents ill-treating or even killing their own children are also on the rise.

People's health not only in this country but the world over is at stake as terminal diseases continue wreaking havoc. It is common knowledge that there are some incurable diseases such as HIV/AIDS and cancer and humanity is tired of losing their relatives to these dreaded diseases.

Dressing trends are changing for the worst and with the rate at which some of the dresses, in the name of fashion, are becoming shorter by day then it won't be surprising if we have people walking stark naked on our streets. Deviance among children is increasing with many of them dropping out of school due to drug abuse or teen pregnancies. The situation is really desperate come in handy. And, with all these problems bedevilling us, it is not surprising that people flock in their numbers to seek relief from their suffering.

So, in case there are some people who are still wondering why normal minded people throng Loliondo for the magical cure when they know that there is no medicine for curing Aids, then it is important they understand that we are a sick nation in need of healing. Desperation has hit us hard and nothing serve for a miracle can heal us. God bless us

bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/0657651300