Nigerians has taken to Twitter to react to the Ministry of Finance and Budget requesting for ventilators from industrial engineer and Telsa CEO, Elon Musk.
in his effort to battle the global coronavirus pandemic, American tech billionaire Elon Musk announced via his Twitter page that his company Telsa is willing to provide free FDA-approved ventilators to worldwide hospitals within Telsa delivery region in dire need of the respiratory device to treat coronavirus patient.
“We have extra FDA-approved ventilators. Will ship to hospitals worldwide within Tesla delivery regions. Device & shipping cost are free. Only requirement is that the vents are needed immediately for patients, not stored in a warehouse. Please me or @Tesla know,” he wrote.
Spotted on the comment section of Elon’s tweet was the official handle of Nigeria’s Ministry of Finance and Budget asking the Telsa CEO for 100 – 500 ventilators on behalf of the nation’s federal government.
“Dear @elonmusk @tesla, the Federal Government of Nigeria needs support with 100 – 500 ventilators to assist with #COVID19 cases rising every day in Nigeria,” the Ministry tweeted.
Nigerians has since flooded the micro blogging platform to react to the Finance Ministry’s request.
While some hailed the move, others expressed their disappointment over their decision to seek aid on such public front – despite the fact that many of the country’s billionaires has donated funds to meet such needs.
Check out the reactions below:
What of all the Billion donations by the rich, where is the money???? And also it's even more annoying when I remember we budgeted N37B for renovation of National assembly.
U can't even send a proper letter, you're replying like someone under a celeb giveaway tweet
E be things
— K (@rowland374) April 2, 2020
https://twitter.com/sharooon__/status/1245646863899848704
https://twitter.com/AsiwajuLerry/status/1245648543232090113
So the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Finance has reduced itself to a common Twitter beggar because of #COVIDー19 ? What differentiates them from the guys who drop account numbers under David's Tweets?
Elon Musk Tesla pity them na.
Chai Giant of Africa has failed me 😢 pic.twitter.com/IrZQ2S7Jm8
— Dr Penking™🇳🇬🇦🇺 (@drpenking) April 2, 2020
1 ventilator is around $10,000 =N3.5m
500 ventilators that the corrupt government is begging Elon Musk for will just be N1.7b. They lied they shared N5bn to their so called poor people just yesterday. Hopeless & heartless Govt.
— Comrade Deji Adeyanju (@adeyanjudeji) April 2, 2020
https://twitter.com/cliqik/status/1245663940522246146
The Nigerian goverment is openly begging Elon Musk for help. I am so embarrassed.
— Dr. Dípò Awójídé (@OgbeniDipo) April 2, 2020
Nobody can shame anyone for begging for giveaways anymore. We are all beggars now🙃🤷🏽♂️
— Dr Dípò Awójídé (@OgbeniDipo) April 2, 2020
https://twitter.com/Tife_fabunmi/status/1245673025330204672
https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1245667163857354752
It’s an embarrassment.
There are Nigerians that can contact Elon Musk and procure ventilators for Nigeria, armies only with an official letterhead from the FG.
A Nigerian sits on the board of Gavi, the largest public-private health partnership in the world, contact her. https://t.co/ddRlx4QZif
— Demola Olarewaju (@DemolaRewaju) April 2, 2020
Begging Elon Musk or not for ventilators, from a single case of #COVID19 on 27th February in Lagos, we see figures gradually rising amid poverty and lack of infrastructures in our health sector caused by medical tourism, poor funding and corruption by government over the years.
— Alabi Michael (@TheMidasMichael) April 2, 2020
They gat money for Toyota Camry 2020 but can't afford to buy Ventilator for #COVID19 this country called 🇳🇬 nigeria is a joke expecialy the Ministry Of Finance
— oluleke akinola spirit (@oluleke_akinola) April 2, 2020
Photo Credit: Instagram
