Cross River State Governor, ben Ayade, has again said that Nigeria does not have cause to panic because of coronavirus.
According to him, our temperature is so hot that once the virus gets into the Nigerian air, it is bound to burn off as it is in ‘hell fire’.
Also liking COVID-19 to malaria, Ayade said, “Malaria and Coronavirus share so much in common that for us in Malaria endemic world, we are naturally almost immuned to the Coronavirus. Even our own temperature here is such that when you sneeze, the virus escapes and it is escaping into hell fire because it can’t stand an atmospheric temperature of 32?. Sometimes in Nigeria we go up to 42?.
“I just sympathize with this our follow the west syndrome and I think the time has come for us to change that completely. We are really being exploited as a continent. Nigerians are being exploited, Africans are being exploited. We must shut our doors. ”
He made the claim on Thursday when he appeared on a programme on Channels Television.
According to him, coronavirus is a business and political tool, saying it amounted to ignorance to get involved in rapid testing.
He argued: ”Out there in the Western world, there is a businessman fanning all of this, making sure they sell reagents. Indeed, my friend out of Switzerland, a Chinese, says he has made so much money importing reagents out of Philipines and shipping to the world. So it has turned into a full-scale business.
“Why will I be testing somebody who has not come in contact with somebody who has caught the virus? I will only test you when I have reasons to, when I have seen symptom.
“If NCDC continues to lower the criteria just to get more people tested, I begin to wonder because we have to exhaust the entire accounts of this country to be able to support the testing regime.
“I think I cannot follow blindly. I must lead from the front because I am exposed, I am smart and I know what I need.
“I can tell you this testing for Coronavirus has gone Ecopolitical. In the US for example, it is about the November elections and for some businessmen, it is about more reagents, more money. But for me, it is science, it is reality and becaue a wrong mentality will give you a wrong reality, I will hold the right mentality. Only contact tracing can help you identify those to be tested. I am a scientist please”
“You don’t have to be a scientist to see the loopholes and business elements. Why can’t Nigeria produce her test kits? Why can’t we have our own vaccination plants to produce our vaccines? Nigerians are endowned. Very intelligent people by nature.”
