Coronavirus: Drama As Reps Reject Motion To Evacuate Nigerians In China

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected a motion to evacuate Nigerians in China following the outbreak of the Coronavirus.

According to lawmakers who voted massively against the motion raised by the spokesperson of the house, Benjamin Okezie, China has better facilities to handle the situation than Nigeria.

Despite efforts by the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila to calm the lawmakers and allow Mr Okezie to move his motion, the lawmakers denied him the opportunity.

Drama ensued when two other sponsors of the bill who were meant to support the motion, declined to second the motion to be moved.

Some of the lawmakers argued that the Nigerians are not stranded as the motion stated, and that some of them did not want to return, as claimed by the federal government.

Nicholas Ossai from Delta state said: “China has better facilities than us to handle the virus.”

Meanwhile, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Zhou Pingjian, said that there are 60 Nigerians residing in Wuhan city where the outbreak was first recorded.

The ambassador who spoke at a news briefing in Abuja on Monday confirmed that no Nigerian citizen residing in Wuhan city has contracted the Coronavirus.

– Channelstv