The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria has issued a response to former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, who called for compensation from China over the Coronavirus pandemic. In the response, the press secretary of the Chinese embassy in Nigeria, Sun Saixiong, dismissed Ezekwesili’s demand, stating that it makes no sense. Saixiong questioned why no one had demanded compensation for the 2009 H1N1 flu, which originated in the US and caused nearly 200,000 deaths. The statement emphasized that the virus is a common enemy to all mankind and may strike anytime, anywhere, and called for solidarity and cooperation in addressing major public health crises.
The response from the Chinese Embassy, as published in The Guardian, urged for the international community to work together instead of resorting to mutual accusation or demanding retribution and accountability. It also highlighted previous global crises such as the AIDS epidemic and the financial turmoil triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, stressing that the virus should be considered as the common enemy, not China. The statement called for respect for facts, science, and international consensus, and urged Ezekwesili to stop attacking and blaming China.
It is noticeable that The Guardian reported on the Op-ed by Oby Ezekwesili, titled “China Must Pay Reparations to Africa for its Coronavirus Failures”. The Op-ed was first published in The Washington Post on April 16th.