Chairman Senate Committee on Special Duties, Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf, on Wednesday, said that the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country has not gotten to the stage that would require the importation of Chinese Doctors by the Federal Government.
Senator Yusuf representing Taraba Central in the upper chamber made the assertion during an interview with reporters in Abuja.
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) had kicked against plans by the Federal Government to bring in Chinese doctors to assist in containing the spread of the COVID-19 in the country.
However, Yusuf said this might not be the best time to take such a far-reaching step.
Yusuf said: “Well, I read in the paper that even Nigerian doctors and nurses are objecting to that.
“There are a lot of skepticisms about Chinese doctors, about Chinese products, including sanitizers.
“People think that there is connivance. For me, it is not the best time to allow the Chinese doctors to come in at this material time, unless if it has gone beyond our control.
“And in my own view, the situation has not gone beyond our control.”
He noted what is needed is for Nigerians to accept the reality of pandemic and play their part in stopping its spread.
“All what we need is for Nigerians to accept that this COVID-19 is a reality because many of us in this country have not accepted that it is a reality.
“People are dying, people are in the hospital. When we go to the hospital, we will see the effect of this on the person that is sick, just imagine even the psychological effect.
“People should take this matter very seriously. The lockdown is helping to limit the spread of the virus. Nigerians should take it seriously,” he said.
He lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for proposing a N500 billion intervention fund.
He said that the National Assembly would scrutinize the amount dispassionately before approving it.
He said: “I thank Mr. President for coming forward, at this difficult period, to bring out half a trillion naira to support Nigerians.
“We wish he could do much better but the dwindling oil revenue with crude selling for below $30 per barrel.
“We are even thanking God that there is no militancy in the Niger Delta, otherwise, the impact would have been worse.
“The National Assembly will look at the proposal dispassionately, we will look at the terms, and do the appropriation in the best way we could.
“Our own is to appropriate, we cannot do anything beyond appropriation. Our leadership in the National Assembly are working hand in hand with the executive arm to see how the N500 billion could be effectively appropriated.
“In their own presentation, they would have indicated how the money would be utilized. We would look at it critically to see areas we could add more and those that we should reduce.
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“We cannot increase the envelope. We can only work within the N500 billion envelope.
“There are other revenues that are coming into the Federal Government from the private sector and the CBN, to assist.
“The rich people in this country are also donating money. We also expect the states and local governments to play their own roles.
“We should not leave everything to the Federal Government alone.”
On the ongoing controversy about the relationship between the 5G network and the COVID-19, the Taraba Central lawmaker said the Senate would look at it dispassionately if it is brought on the floor.
According to him, “It (5G) is a technical and complicated issue. I read that NCC said they have not licensed anyone on 5G.
“For us, if the issue is brought to the National Assembly, we will look at it in terms of what is best for us in this country.
“A lot of studies have to be done. Are we fully adopted to 4G? It is only in this country that someone will be with four or five handsets because of network issue.
“Even the 2G, 3G and 4G that we have, we have not managed them effectively and we want to jump to 5G. We will look at it from the point of view of what is best for this country.
“I read that South Korea has 5G and it is working. Are people there dying? We will look at it with consultation from our constituencies.
“The problem is, there is still a gap between the political elites and the citizens and even the media.
“Until we narrow the gap, we might not be able to get things to work the way we want it.”
On the lack of adequate palliatives for Nigerians during the ongoing lockdown, he said that the Federal Government is working to alleviate the sufferings of the people.
Yusuf said: “We are not in the best of time. It is not the wish of the government that the people should be locked indoors without palliative measures.
“That is why the Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria to ensure that the poor people, who are most affected by the COVID-19 get the necessary palliatives to douse the effects of the lockdown.
“Every political office holder is concerned, members of the parliament are concerned too.
“I’m sure also that the President is doing all he could to make sure that he alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians brought about by the effects of COVID-19.”
On the response of the Taraba State Government to contain the spread of the virus, Senator Yusuf said: “The Taraba State Government has close down the borders. If you observe, 68 percent to 70 percent of the coronavirus cases that we have came from outside the country.
“So, it means that if we had lockdown the country much earlier, we may not have this impact.
“Our problem now is an internal transmission which goes from one state to the other.
“If the states and their borders are closed and we make a very good preparation in anticipation, we will overcome the challenge.
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