HURIWA To FG: Stop The Game Of Semantics Over Chinese ‘Doctors’

BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Civil Rights Advocacy group on the aegis of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned in strong terms what it described as the deliberate ambiguity in the communications to Nigerians by the members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and some members of the Federal Executive Council on the visit and status of the Chinese medical team to Nigeria amidst stiff opposition from a cross section of Nigerians. 

HURIWA therefore urged the Federal Government to stop playing what it called “Semantic Gymnastic” with Nigerians over the precise whereabouts and mission of the delegation of about 15 Chinese ‘Doctors’ to avoid planting misconceptions in the minds of millions of Nigerians.

HURIWA said such antics by the Federal Government would cast doubts in the minds of Nigeria that it is really not engaged in committed battles against the ravaging Coronavirus pandemic in the country.

The Rights group noted that the trajectory of the involvement of the foreign medical team from China in the local efforts to combat the COVID-19 challenge in Nigeria is full of half-truths and fallacies sold to Nigerians by members of the Federal Executive Council and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 regarding the exact mission and movements of the Chinese medical team who surreptitiously came in when the whole World was on Lockdown and indeed the Federal government had shut down all the International Airports and entries into Nigeria. 

HURIWA said the admission by the Minister of Health that government was ignorant of the movements and schedules of the visiting Chinese is a threat to national security, stressing that what it portends is that government does not have what it takes to enforce the immigration laws of Nigeria. 

It recalled that about a month ago, the Nigerian government had said that the 15 member team of Chinese medical personnel came into the country to assist in building and equipping isolation centres. 

Citing widespread media reports, HURIWA noted that the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said the medical team from China came to build isolation centres while responding to questions at the daily Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing few weeks back sequel to the arrival of the controversial medical delegation from China, the country where the Coronavirus kicked off as an epidemic before snowballing into a global pandemic. 

The Rights group further reminded the Federal Government that the Minister of Health had also confirmed that the Chinese team arrived in Nigeria on April 8, 2020 to share their experiences in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

HURIWA therefore said that it was unimaginable that the same Minister of Health is feigning ignorance of the location of the members of the 15 medical doctors from China. 

HURIWA further said; “Millions of Nigerians and medical associations kicked against the decision to invite the medical experts, but against all rational opposition, the government went ahead with its plan but the same Federal government officials are not forthcoming with believable line of information on the exact whereabouts of the Chinese medical team. 

“It is clear that there are information the government officials are keeping away from Nigerians on the exact status of the Chinese medical team in the country because the sane Health minister, who denied hosting the Chinese team had told Nigerians that the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has been able to learn some things from the Chinese medical team by interacting with them from their experience in their country whereas the Interior minister said categorically that they came to help build isolation centres in Nigeria”. 

HURIWA wondered why the Minister of Health is speaking from both sides of his mouth by affirming that the Ministry of Health is not their host and that he cannot always explain what happened to them or where they are just as he said:

“There seems to be a lot of interest in these doctors but they are staff of the company and I think they are on the company visa”. 

HURIWA therefore demanded a public apology to Nigerians from the Ministers of Health and Interior on the confusions they created on the exact mission of the Chinese medical team in Nigeria.