The China branch of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has challenged the Minority in Parliament over calls for government to bring home Ghanaian students in Coronavirus-hit Wuhan in China.
According to the overseas branch of the party; “To suggest an evacuation of Ghanaian students in China from the epidemic zone by Samuel Okudzetu Ablakwa and comparing it to the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals from Libya during the fall of the Qaddafi’s regime exposes the naivety of Mr Ablakwa.
This is based on the technical and health implications of the suggested move.”
“The spread of the virus across China is evident that the plausible means as it stands now is to restrict movement of people. This is to avert human to human transmission.
It is against the background of averting further spread that the Chinese Government has shut down the city of Wuhan and other cities in China,” it said.
The statement stressed: “The fact remains that all areas in China are now classified as infested areas – citizens and foreigners are quarantined when and where there are suspected cases.
As of today, the total number of confirmed cases stands at 59,901 and death toll sums up to 1,368,” the statement added.
“This is the situation at hand. The evacuation, though may be an option but must be done carefully to protect the evacuees and the Ghanaian public.
Also, basic medical equipment like infrared thermometers that records temperature at wider ranges without contact with persons must all be available to safely protect the public.
The statement added that; “Given the situation and a careful calculations, evacuation will be injurious to the safety of the Ghanaian students.
The transmission rate keeps soaring and the best options available are for all Ghanaians and the students to observe all health and safety measures.
The public are implored to discredit the propagandist stance of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and keep trust with the Government of Ghana under the leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo”.
Mr Okudzetu Ablakwa, who is a Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for North Tongu in the Volta Region has been at the forefront of calls for government to bring the Ghanaian students home.
He has cited Libya as an example to buttress his argument, stating that during the Libya civil war nine years ago, Ghana was able to evacuate her nationals who were more than a thousand back to Ghana.
In a joint address by ranking members of committees on Foreign Affairs and Health records released by the World Health Organisation indicates that 1,016 people have been confirmed dead with 43,000 infected with the Corona Virus.
They argued that the current government cannot be insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians, stressing that this is a humanitarian issue and the earlier the government showed leadership, the better.
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