Ebola: China denies Nigeria’s champions visa

Ebola: China denies Nigeria’s champions visa

The National Association of Nigerian Students, South-West Zone D, has threatened a mass protest at the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria any time from now, for denying students of the Ekiti State University visa because of the Ebola virus outbreak.
The students are to represent Nigeria in China in an international academic competition tagged ‘Enactus 2014’.
The EKSU students had emerged winners of the national phase of the entrepreneurial/academic competition where about 40 Nigerian tertiary institutions participated in June.
They are to be in China before October 25 to represent Nigeria at the global contest where all other students’ teams representing their countries are to compete.
The NANS Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Asofon Sunday, called on President Goodluck Jonathan to wade into the matter,
He said, “It has come to our notice that Ekiti State University Enactus team, scheduled to represent Nigeria at a worldwide competition holding in China, have been denied entry visa by the Chinese Diplomatic Embassy on the grounds that our country is infected with the Ebola Virus Disease.
“We view this singular act of the Chinese Embassy as the highest form of injustice and racial discrimination against young, vibrant and patriotic Nigerians who have prepared assiduously to make their nation proud in an international competition.
“It is instructive to note that Nigeria has been declared free of EVD since September 23 and all international agencies, including the World Health Organisation, attested to this.
“This is not about EKSU Enactus team, it is much more an embarrassment to the cordial diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and China. We further view this as a deliberate plan by the Chinese government to prevent Nigeria from being represented at the competition.”