Nigerians living in China have again appealed to the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government to come to their rescue, as the deadly coronavirus continue to spread in the Asian city.
The latest appeal is coming from Mr. Festus Mbisiogu, Coordinator of Nigerians in Diaspora (NIDO), Guangdong province of China who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Bluediamond Logistics, China.
Speaking with Igbere TV on Wednesday, the NIDO Coordinator said he was sending an SOS to the Buhari government to consider the plea of Nigerian citizens in China to be evacuated to safe region, most especially Nigerian students in the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the raging epidemic.
NIDO boss, Mbisiogu
“With one recorded case of infection of a Cameroonian student in the city of Wuhan, and the first African in China to be infected, there is heightened fear that situation could get worse,” he said.
According to him, “China is doing its utmost best to bring the disease under control by employing some of the harshest measures that would automatically limit the spread beyond expectation.
“As days unfold, these measures begin to reveal other painful situations among occupants in the city, most especially foreign students who have been surviving on very limited rations and support without any visible contact to friends and families outside the city.”
He said, “The entire city of Wuhan is locked down while other cities observe similar strict measures of compliance. In like manner, neighbouring borders like Hongkong, Indonesia, Vietnam etc, has tightened cross border movements, while Indonesia and few other countries took the pains to fly their citizens out of China completely.”
Continuing, Mr. Mbisiogu added, “In Guangdong, our place of business; my staff have remained indoors since the beginning of the spring festival holidays till date and there is no near respite in sight. However we have remained hopeful trusting in Chinas capability to bring the situation under control.
“In some cities, public transportation and outdoor activities of any kind is arbitrarily suspended and individuals are compelled to comply as a form of support to the efforts of the authorities to combat the raging disease.
“While these measures exists, some of the Nigerians contacted have cried out to the Nigerian government to consider the plight of over a hundred Nigerian students holed in their hostels and school communities in the city of Wuhan without further funds and provisions as the city remained locked down till date.”
The Bluediamond boss re-echoed the motion raised by Hon. Benjamin Kalu (APC, Abia) during plenary at the House of Representatives, urging the federal government to immediately evacuate stranded Nigerians in China.
Igbere TV recalls that Hon. Kalu, who doubles as House Spokesman, had called on Nigeria to immediately evacuate her citizens, most especially those in the city of Wuhan where occupants of the city have remained continuously indoor since the outbreak of the coronavirus.
“…If need be, let Nigeria evacuate and quarantine returnees like other nations whose citizens were stranded in the crisis has done,” he had opined.
The NIDO China coordinator appealed to the Nigerian government to take matters affecting the welfare of Nigerians in China as utmost priority in these trying times, while efforts to curb the spread of the deadly virus continue to be emphasized.
On his part, a Nigerian student in Wuhan, China who identified himself simply as Mr. Tunde Rahman, said Nigerians in the city would be grateful if the Nigerian government listens to their call for rescue.
“We do not pray for the uneventful but it is wise to employ every cautionary measure like any country whose welfare of its citizens overseas is an issue,” he said.
Igbere TV reports that since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the number of infections have continued to rise by day, reaching up to over 20,000 infected cases and over 400 deaths in China alone.
