Coronavirus: Minority gives gov’t 3-day ultimatum to evacuate Ghanaian students in Wuhan

The Minority in Parliament has given the government a three-day ultimatum to evacuate Ghanaians living in China.

The three-day ultimatum is expected to elapse on Friday.

They argue that it is unfortunate that President Akufo-Addo has remained quiet on the matter, since the outbreak of the disease, while his administration seems unmoved by the distress calls of Ghanaian students in China.

The Minority’s outburst comes in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in China where more than a thousand people are dead and 42,708 others are infected.

Ghanaian students in Wuhan have been agitating for their evacuation at a time the epicentre of the disease is in lockdown.

But the director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Badu Sarkodie, has kicked against calls to evacuate the students in Wuhan given that countries that have recorded infestations traced the source to Wuhan.

Ghanaian students in China demand evacuation back home over outbreak of coronavirus

The Minority, is, however, pushing for the students be brought back home.

Addressing the press in Parliament on Tuesday, Minority Spokespersons on Foreign Affairs and Health, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah and Kobina Mintah Akandoh reiterated their demands.

Coronavirus: Don’t evacuate Ghanaian students in Wuhan back home – GHS

“We have convened this press conference to renew our demands on the Akufo Addo led government to immediately evacuate our nationals in Wuhuan, particularly students who are stranded and continue to cry out for help, ” Mr Ablakwa said.

But he was quick to add that while the government should be mindful of WHO protocols on evacuation, it would insist that the government followed in the evacuation process and bring the students home.

“The leadership of this country cannot be callous, cannot be insensitive when it is about the life of our nation. It is in times like these that we asses the value that leadership places on the life of our citizens. We hereby call on the Akufo-government to immediately evacuate our students, particularly those under lock and key,” Mr Akandoh said.