Ohanaeze Ndigbo said instead, they should wear the face masks made in Aba, Abia State.
In a statement signed by its President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, OYC alerted Igbos that any face masks imported from intending invitee Chinese doctors, “who are showing desperation to come to Nigeria amidst speculations about their sincere intentions with one million face masks is very suspicious.”
The apex Igbo youth organisation queried acceptance of one million face masks, adding that “uncertified sources had raised doubts that such personal preventive equipment may be second hand and capable of infesting Nigerians with Coronavirus, which Chinese doctors might want to exploit to ruin our economy and enslave Nigerians.”
It added that Irrespective of the claim that China has contained the spread of Coronavirus in their country, “the desperate attempt to bring in these Chinese doctors against all odds shows that there’s more to it, when Aba artisans can produce 1m face masks in one week.”
OYC added that it “recommend the made in Aba face masks to Ndigbo and Nigerians, as we can verify the source of production and guarantee the safety of the face masks.
“We urge the Federal Government to ban any face masks imported from China at this Crucial moment.
“We cannot experiment PPE imported from China with lives of innocent Nigerians.”
The group called Igbo and Nigerians in general to “reject any item from these insincere Chinese doctors, they shouldn’t be trusted.
“Some Government officials are showing desperation over the invitation of Chinese doctors, when NMA and other sisters organisations had reportedly rejected this move.”
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK