A former United Nations Diplomat, Oseloka Obaze, has cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari government over Chinese doctors’ trip to Nigeria amid the COVID-19 crisis.
The governance and policy expert spoke in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Awka.
Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, had disclosed that a special cargo aircraft will leave Nigeria in a few days to collect items, which include Personal Protective Equipment and ventilators.
“Of great interest is that an 18-man team of medical experts from China, including doctors, nurses and medical experts shall come along with the flight to assist us,” he revealed.
Commending the COVID-19 management in the country, Obaze referred to the Presidential Executive Order 05(8a) which says that the Ministry of Interior must ensure expatriates quota for projects, contracts and programmes were granted in line with the provision of Immigration Act and other relevant laws.
“Where qualifications and competence of Nigerian nationals are not available or cannot be ascertained, which shall be contingent on training such a number of persons as may be required for the execution of the contract or project.
“So, the question is what are these Chinese going to do that our own doctors have not been able to do? The Federal Government must ensure that the provisions of this law are met”, he stressed.
Reacting to the disbursement of relief funds and materials, Obaze advised the Federal Government to hand them over to state governments for onward distribution to local governments, communities and wards.
“This is a national emergency not politics, you don’t work out the list in Abuja. The aim is to reach Nigerians who are in their houses without food,” he stated.
