The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ officials, on Thursday, April 23rd, 2020, held a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Zhou Pingjian, in Abuja over the fate of seventy two (72) Nigerians who tested positive for coronavirus disease in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province of China.

Flavision learnt that they discussed the development and other matters relating to the maltreatment of Nigerian citizens in China.

The country’s foreign affairs spokesman, Mr. Ferdinand Nwonye, confirmed the meeting, noting that the Chinese envoy reaffirmed that fifty six (56) Nigerians had just tested positive for COVID-19.

Recall that Flavision reported Thursday, April 23rd, 2020, that no fewer than seventy-two Nigerians awaiting evacuation in Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province of China have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The MFA spokesman confirmed receiving a diplomatic correspondence from the Nigerian Consulate in Guangzhou, adding that the acting Consul-General, Mr. Razaq Lawal, was not able to provide details yet, since he was in quarantine.

He said,

This afternoon (Thursday), we had a meeting with the Chinese ambassador where he regretted the attitude of some Nigerians, some of them refusing to even undergo treatment.

They are treating those who wanted to be treated, some of them that are being treated are recovering.

I asked the ambassador whether the coronavirus cases were imported or they were people already resident in China. He confirmed that the first two cases among Nigerians were imported.

It may not be that they got it in Nigeria, may be, while they were in transit. The note I got said 56 Nigerians tested positive with about two or more contacts.

On our own side, we are seriously engaging with the Chinese authorities, but unfortunately, our acting Consul-General in Guangzhou is in quarantine, he has a few days to finish before he can come out to maybe, personally engage with them (Chinese officials). They are only communicating electronically,

Nwonye disclosed.

Nwoye urged Nigerians in China to obey every regulation ordered by the Chinese Government to curb the spread of coronavirus disease, noting that each country had its own approach to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

A China resident, Mr. Jubril Aifuwa said the Nigerian community in the Asian country was not aware of the report that seventy two (72) Nigerians tested positive for COVID-19, adding that all the Nigerian citizens who were quarantined had been released.

Aifuwa stated,

I was among the people who were quarantined. We were about 55 Nigerians and some other Africans and we were released after 14 days. We were tested three times and no one returned positive.

We have a group WhatsApp where we monitored what is going on. If after 14 days, you are free of the virus, the government would give you a certificate showing you are virus-free. If anyone tested positive, he would not be released.

Another resident, Stephen Okechukwu, also described as false, the Chinese government’s report, stressing that

every Nigerian in China has been tested and all results came out negative.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has stated that Nigeria would not condone the stigmatisation of Nigerians in China and the racist attacks on other Africans by Chinese officials in Guangzhou, and described such as a redline.

The federal Government said it had instructed the Nigerian Consulate in Guangzhou to to document each case of racism and stigmatisation against Nigerian citizens for redress.

Recent viral videos on social media had shown some Nigerians being rounded up and evicted from their hotel rooms and apartments by Guangzhou Municipal officials.

Responding to questions on the reported attacks on Nigerians during a press briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja on Thursday, April 23rd, 2020, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, stated that the government would get justice for the affected citizens without any compromise.

He said,

We are engaging with the Chinese government at various levels and at the level of our consulate in Guangzhou which is where the discrimination and racism had taken place and also at Beijing with our embassy.

We made it clear to the Chinese government in no uncertain terms, unequivocally, that under no circumstance would we accept racial discrimination against Nigerians, Africans or blacks in China. That is a redline.

He debunked allegations that the Federal Government had demanded that Nigerians awaiting evacuation abroad to pay for COVID-19 tests.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.