Omicron: Senate Fumes, Wants Nigeria Removed From UK Government's Red List
- The government of the United Kingdom have been asked to remove Nigeria from its new travel red list
- The appeal was made by lawmakers of the Nigerian Senate during the plenary on Tuesday, December 7
- Senator Ike Ekweremadu drew the attention of the Senate to the matter via a motion raised through orders 42 and 52
The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, December 7, described the recent placement of Nigeria on the red list by the United Kingdom government over the Omicron variant of COVID-19 as discriminatory.
A statement signed by Ezrel Tabiowo, the special assistant to the Senate president on media and seen by Legit.ng said the ban is an attack on the diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Britain.
Stating that placing Nigeria on the list cannot be justified, Tabiowo said the Senate also called on the British authorities to consider removing Nigeria from the red list.
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Tabiowo said the Senate urged the UK government to be sensitive to the diplomatic relations between both countries when making decisions that affect Nigerian citizens.
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The lawmakers also prevailed on the FG to engage UK government authorities with an aim to ensure the ban is reversed.
According to Tabiowo, the Senate also urged the Federal Government to engage the British authorities to reverse Nigeria’s inclusion on the red list.
Senate resolution reached after a motion by Senator Ekweremadu
He said the lawmakers came to the conclusion after a motion, titled 'Need for Government of the United Kingdom to remove Nigeria from COVID-19 Red List' which was sponsored by Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
Ekweremadu in his motion had said that the Nigerian government has satisfactorily contained the spread of the COVID-19 virus in line with WHO standards.
Effect of ban on Nigerians visiting the UK this yuletide season
He said the decision of the UK government will affect plans by many Nigerian citizens who would like to spend their Christmas and New Year holidays with their families.
The lawmaker said it is also worrisome that many Nigerians aside holiday plans may have other genuine reasons why they want to visit the UK.
He also drew the attention of the chamber to global concerns over vaccine hoarding and inequity and the resulting consequences on low-income nations in the fight against COVID-19.
In his reaction, the president of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said placing Nigeria on the UK's red list could pose a strain on the diplomatic relations between both countries.
FG asks UK government to reverse travel ban against Nigerians
The government of the United Kingdom has been asked to rescind the travel ban placed on Nigeria over the newly discovered COVID-19 variant.
The appeal was made to the British government by the Federal Government of Nigeria on Monday, December 6.
Lai Mohammed said the decision of the UK government to place Nigeria on a travel ban has no scientific backing.
Three more cases of the Omicron variant of COVID were detected in Nigeria
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that three more cases of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus have been detected in Nigeria.
This was announced in a statement by released the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday, December 7.
The increase in the number of Omicron cases comes on the heels of the UK government's decision to place Nigeria on a red alert list.
Source: Legit.ng
