The House of Representatives on Tuesday demanded to know the whereabouts of the reported 15-member Chinese medics, who came to Nigeria in the wake of outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, urging Minister of Health, Dr. Osage Ehanire, to provide its leadership with the details.
The minister had assured Speaker of the House during a meeting on April 7, 2020 that full status and activities of the medics would be provided the House, which at that demanded that all safety procedures, including a 14 day quarantine circle must be adhered to, after the medics arrived on April 3.
The House also in a resolution on a motion moved under matters of urgent public importance, by Hon. Dachung Bagos, mandated its Committees on Health Services, Interior, National Security and Intelligence, Foreign Affairs to jointly investigate the reports of the medics’ where about and who they really are.
There were recent reports that government agencies which should keep tab on their activities appeared to be ignorant of their current location, and what they are doing in Nigeria.
Bagos who recalled that initial government explanation was that the team would be in the country, “to share their experiences in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic”, were on arrival received at the Namdi International airport, Abuja by some government officials, including the Minister of Health.
He said in response to controversies initially generated by the entry of the medics into Nigeria, Gbajabiamila convened a meeting between the leadership of the House and Minister of Health, during which he insisted that the team must undergo the necessary checks as provided by the NCDC, expressing concerns that the Minister of Information was however reported in the media on May 4, to have said “the Chinese Doctors have started working in Isolation Centres, helping the country in capacity building”.
He also pointed out that the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesman; ZhaiLljian said the Medical Team was sent at the request of the Nigerian Government who “had voiced welcome and gratitude to China’s help”, adding that before the coming of the medics, COVID-19 data stood at 254 confirmed cases with 44 successfully treated by the Nigerian Medical Personnel with only 6 deaths, but that today, the statistics of infected people have skyrocketed.
