The Nigerian Senate has condemned the travel ban imposed on Nigerian travelers by the United Kingdom over the detection of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in the country.
During plenary on Tuesday, the Senate called for the urgent reversal of the UK’s decision to add Nigeria to its COVID-19 red list.
Following the consideration of a motion sponsored by Sen. Ike Ekweremadu titled “Need for Government of the United Kingdom to remove Nigeria from its COVID-19 Red List,” the Nigerian Senate said the ban on Nigerian travelers was quite uncalled for
The Senate advised the UK government to be “sensitive to the diplomatic relations between both countries when making decisions that affect Nigerian citizens.”
The Senate also urged the Federal Government to engage the British authorities in reversing Nigeria’s inclusion on the list.
It also called on the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to remain firm in the enforcement of necessary protocols in the containment of every COVID-19 variant in Nigeria.
Coming under Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules, Ekweremadu noted with satisfaction the efforts of the Government of Nigeria in the containment and treatment of COVID-19 cases.
“Nigeria is among the countries with the lowest cases of COVID-19. The decision by the British Government to include Nigeria in its COVID-19 list, with its concomitant implications, will affect many citizens of Nigeria, who had planned to spend their Christmas and New Year holiday with their families.
“The Senate is also worried that Nigerians with genuine needs to visit the U.K within this period will be denied visas and those with visas will not be allowed to enter the U.K.”…
THE UNITED KINGDOM: IF THE UNITED KINGDOM HAD HAD SIGNIFICANCE REASONS TO BAN NIGERIANS COMING TO THEIR COUNTRY, THEN, WHY WOULD YOUR GOVERNMENT NOT BANNED THEM BASED ON CORRUPTION, THAT YOU HAVE CREATED WHICH HAS BEEN CAUSING PROBLEMS IN NIGERIA? NIGERIANS ARE LIARS AND CRIMINALS THAT YOUR GOVERNMENT KNOWS MUCH ABOUT, YET, YOUR GOVERNMENT CONTINUE ALLOWING THOSE *LOOTERS AND FRAUDSTERS TO KEEP NIGERIANS WEALTH (MONEY) IN THE BANKS UNDER YOUR AUTHORITY. THERE ARE NO CORONAVIRUS IN NIGERIA AND IF THERE WERE ANY AT ALL, IN WHAT STATE, AND HOW MANY DEATHS THAT YOU HAVE IN STATISTICAL RECORDS THAT WARRANTS YOUR WRONGDOING? NIGERIANS WAS LUCKY THAT THOSE PANDEMIC DISASTER NEVER WENT THROUGH THEIR BOUNDARIES FOR CALAMITY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE WORLD CEMETERY. AND TO PUT NIGERIANS ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD— JOIN AFRICAN PEOPLES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY INC. (APEDA) IN U.S.A., NIGERIA AND LIBERIA FOR WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION (WAC). *ALL THAT NIGERIANS NEEDED IS TO BE TESTED AND VACCINATION, BUT NOT BANNED.—Hon. Chief Bethel Efekoro—U.S.A.