Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, says he is not afraid to work with the Chinese because coronavirus is not a killer disease.
Amaechi said this Monday when he featured on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television.
As of today, Coronavirus which first broke out in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province in China, has killed more than 300 people.
Amaechi said he has no fear whatsoever of contracting the disease because those he works with have not travelled out of Nigeria since the outbreak of the deadly virus.
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Amaechi asked: “Didn’t you see me …is it last week or two weeks ago with the chairman of CCECC on site at the Lagos-Ibadan railway?
“No, for two reasons: I hear that the coronavirus is not a killer virus. It is not as deadly as SARS, everybody was just running away. Again, I am not saying everybody should go and get coronavirus.
“The main reason I am still working with them despite the fact that I am compelled to do that, is the fact that those who are here that we are working with now didn’t travel, so, obviously, they couldn’t have acquired Coronavirus. Those who travelled and are back are quarantined and they will be there for 18-21 days.”
“The government is not irresponsible. Do you know how many people we are? Almost 200 million persons, so, government will not be that irresponsible to lose 200 million persons,” he said.
The minister also said people should know that there is no cause for alarm, seeing how he freely mingles with the Chinese, adding that he too doesn’t want to die
“It is going to be disastrous if such a thing gets here so government is putting up measures,” he said.
“The fact that I talk with them, meet with them, should reassure you. I don’t want to die. I have children and I have a wife.”
