PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Nigerian government in the early hours of Friday confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the country. It was detected in an Italian who recently arrived in Nigeria.

The Nigerian case is the first in sub-Saharan Africa of a disease that has killed thousands across the world, the majority in China where the disease originated from.

In its reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) “berated the Buhari Presidency for its negligence and laidback attitude to governance and the welfare of Nigerians leading to the avoidable entrance of the deadly corona virus into our dear country.”

The party said “it was evident that the Buhari Presidency, not being alive to its responsibilities, as usual, took no concrete steps to hedge our nation against the virus, leading to the current scary situation,” Kola Ologbodiyan,” the PDP spokesperson said in a statement.

Many Nigerians including lawmakers had condemned the level of preparation by Nigeria to prevent the disease from being brought into the country and prevent it from spreading.

The government had, however, said it was fully prepared and had put necessary measures in place. The Italian who has the disease has been isolated at a treatment centre in Lagos while a contact tracing of everyone who had contact with him is being done.

There is no known cure for coronavirus yet while its exact origin is yet to be determined.

Read the full statement by the PDP below.

Corona Virus: PDP Berates Buhari For Negligence…Seeks Concerted Effort, Adoption of Ebola Intervention Strategy

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated the Buhari Presidency for its negligence and laidback attitude to governance and the welfare of Nigerians leading to the avoidable entrance of the deadly corona virus into our dear country.

The party says it was evident that the Buhari Presidency, not being alive to its responsibilities, as usual, took no concrete steps to hedge our nation against the virus, leading to the current scary situation.

The PDP notes that a responsive and proactive government would have mobilized effective surveillance and screening measures to ward off the menace, particularly at our entry points, but the incompetent, insensitive and indifferent Buhari administration, was more interested in propaganda and unnecessary showboating with false performance claims.

The party also recalled that the Buhari administration had done nothing to assist Nigerian citizens stranded in China despite their pleas, just the same way it abandoned our compatriots who were being murdered in the heat of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

The PDP said Nigerians should directly hold the Buhari Presidency responsible should any national calamity arose from COVID-19 in addition to the economic and security challenges its negligence had caused our nation.

Due to the negligence and incompetence of the Buhari administration, Nigerians can no longer move freely across their country for fear of insurgents, bandits, kidnappers and now corona virus.

Indeed, the Buhari government is a huge misfortune to our nation. This latest leadership failure further validates widespread calls for it to step aside for more competent hands to manage the affairs of our country.

The PDP therefore calls on Nigerians not to despair but stir up the Nigerian resilient spirit for an urgent, multi sectoral concerted effort by agencies, groups, corporate entities and public-spirited individuals to immediately curb the disease before it spreads, particularly given the prevalent security, economic and humanitarian challenges in the country.

The party called on the Federal Government to end its cosmetic attitude and immediately adopt the proactive strategy used by the PDP administration to promptly contain the Ebola Virus disease in 2014.

The PDP also advised Nigerians to be very vigilant and follow intervention directives to ensure that the disease does not spread in the country.

The party urged the ministry of health to continue to be open and not allow propaganda, speculations and misinformation in the handling of this health emergency.