Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, has been silent since the outbreak of the coronavirus in Nigeria.
It is still unclear if the minister is in self-isolation or on his annual leave.
Under normal circumstance, Onyeama should be visible at this period to guide Nigeria’s foreign policy amid the global pandemic.
The minister has not held media briefings or issued statements since the country commenced actions against COVID-19.
Osagie Ehanire and Lai Mohammed, Ministers of Health and Information respectively, have been communicating with the press and Nigerians regularly.
But curiously, Onyeama has been missing in action. Nothing was heard from him even when the federal government announced travel ban and stoppage of international flights.
Onyeama’s portfolio empowers him to hold strategic and bilateral meetings with investors, envoys, foreign delegations, among others.
This had triggered speculations that he might have been exposed to the disease.
Also, the minister is known to be close to President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, who tested positive.
There are fears that Onyeama might have come in contact with Kyari at private or cabinet meetings.
Efforts to reach Ferdinand Nwonye, sokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, proved abortive as at the time of this report.
The deadly virus has affected 65 people in Nigeria.
The latest patients are in FCT (1), Bauchi (1) and Lagos (12).
“Of the 14, 6 were detected on a vessel, 3 are returning travellers into Nigeria & 1 is close contact of a confirmed case”, NCDC said.
Coronavirus has claimed 25,000 lives globally and affected 200 countries.
Meanwhile, the United States has overtaken Italy and China as the country with the highest COVID-19 cases.
