Chinese authorities in Nigeria has responded to media reports alleging that a coalition of Nigerian legal practitioners had filled a class action against the People’s Republic of China over the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on Nigerians.
The lawyers, some media reports held, are demanding $200 billion as damages for alleged “loss of lives, economic strangulation, trauma, hardship, social disorientation, mental torture and disruption of normal daily existence of people in Nigeria.”
Responding to the reports that made the rounds recently in the Nigeria media, the Press Secretary to the Embassy of China in Nigeria, Sun Saixiong noted that the virus is a common enemy to all mankind and may strike at anytime and anywhere. China, like other countries he maintained, is also a victim and not a perpetrator, even less an accomplice of the COVID-19.
The Chinese official also held that since the outbreak of COID-19, China has in an open transparent and responsible spirit, taken the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough measures to contain its spread and conduct international cooperation. China, he further maintained, has in this process made tremendous sacrifices, accumulated valuable experience and made significant contributions to the global response to which the international community bears witness and applauds.
The statement reads in part, “In the face of major public health crisis and infectious diseases, the international community should stand in solidarity and work together, not resort to mutual accusation or demand retribution and accountability. As we recall, there has never been any precedence of the later”.
Maintaining that China is standing together with Nigeria in the global fight against COVID-19, the Chinese Embassy Press Secretary called on the Nigerian legal practitioners to desist from attacking and discrediting other countries.
His words, “Attacking and discrediting other countries by other countries will not save the time and lives lost. At this critical moment, we urge that Nigerian legal practitioners should do more things to enhance mutual trust and help epidemic prevention and control in both countries, rather than dancing to the tune of a certain country to hype up the situation”.
