The National Assembly and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum have condemned the United Kingdom’s travel ban on Nigeria over the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
VANTAGE NEWS had reported that the UK ban on Nigerians has been generating angry reactions.
Members of the House of Assembly, at the plenary on Tuesday, accused Western countries of bullying Nigeria and other African countries.
The Minority Leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu, who moved a motion titled, ‘Need to Intervene in the Suspension of Issuance of Visitors Visa to Nigerians by the United Kingdom Government,’ said the ban would affect Nigerians planning to return home for the festive period.
According to Elumelu, the ban “it does not exempt over 8,000 Nigerian travellers that have bought air to visit Nigeria during this festive period, as the restriction would affect their re-entry into the UK after holidays.”
Similarly, the Nigerian Governors Forum on Tuesday described the ban as “arbitrary stigmatisation.”
The NGF, in a statement signed by its Chairman and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, also called on the United Nations to look into it.
In the statement titled, “Omicron: The NGF Rejects Arbitrary Stigmatisation,” the governors said banning Nigeria without studying facts on the ground was discriminatory.
“Only three cases (before Tuesday) of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus were detected in Nigeria less than a week ago, precisely on December 1, 2021.
“Canada and the United Kingdom have hastily included Nigeria among the Omicron present countries which must stay away from their shores, an action viewed by the NGF as precipitate, unfair and discriminatory.
“Omicron still remains relatively unknown globally as it is not yet clear whether it is more transmissible from person to person compared to other variants including Delta,” Fayemi said.
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