COVID-19 private sector relief fund hits N25.9bn

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CBN Building

Donations into the private sector relief fund, championed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to raise funds to combat COVID-19 have risen to N25.894 billion as at yesterday, up from the N21.589 billion reported previously.

This was disclosed in a statement yesterday on behalf of the coalition by the Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor.

Also, the statement showed that the list of contributors has increased from the 50 reported previously, to a total of 107 individuals and organisations.

Okoroafor, while urging more Nigerians and corporate bodies to contribute to the fund, charged Nigerians to do their part in checking any further spread of the virus in Nigeria.

CACOVID recently said work had started to provide and equip medical facilities in the six geopolitical zones.

The medical facilities included the creation of testing, isolation and treatment centres as well as the provision of Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and molecular testing labs.

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had said CACOVID was targeting N120 billion for the acquisition of healthcare facilities and advocacy about the virus across the country, among others.

Meanwhile, following the new revelations as regards the maltreatment of Nigerians in Guangzhou, China, the federal government has declared its readiness to immediately begin the process of evacuating the affected Nigerians from the Asian country.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, made this known while addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, where he revealed that he had summoned the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Zhou Pingjian, for the second time since the reports surfaced in the media to register Nigeria’s displeasure over the development.

He stressed that contrary to what the Nigerian government had believed that the situation was now under control, it became apparent that there were still very distressing incidences.

The minister stated categorically that emerging facts revealed that it was an institutional attack on the rights and dignity of Nigerians and Africans there.

Onyeama said even though there was an effort to contain an outbreak of the virus, including some Africans who came into the country and tested positive, but insisted that there was absolutely no reason whatsoever to completely trespass on the rights and dignity of Nigerians and Africans in the city.

 

Onyeama further said the Nigerian Ambassador to China, Baba Ahmed Jidda, as well as other African ambassadors in China, met with the Chinese Foreign Ministry and expressed their concern and made a number of demands of the Chinese Government, including the insistence on the respect of the rights and dignity of Africans and Nigerians in Guangdong.

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