COVID-19: Lawmakers Intervene in Diplomatic Row between Nigeria, UAE
The Nigerian lawmakers on Tuesday resolved to intervene in the diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following disagreements between both countries over the COVID-19 condition.
The decision to wade into the dispute was reached sequel to a point of order by the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, during plenary.
Recalled that earlier in the year, Federal Government stopped the UAE national carrier, emirates Airlines from subjecting Nigerian travellers to additional rapid antigen tests as against its stipulated negative PCR test at the Lagos and Abuja airports before departure.
Due to non-compliance with the Emirates demand for additional tests, some Nigerians living in the United Arabs Emirates have been unable to renew their papers, including work permits.
Abaribe, while relying on Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules recalled that in December 2020, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Nigeria and the UAE to provide a platform for both countries to engage each other bilaterally.
Giving insight into the circumstances surrounding the disagreement, the lawmaker noted that in February 2021, the Federal Government stopped the UAE national carrier, emirates Airlines from subjecting Nigerian travellers to additional rapid antigen tests as against its stipulated negative PCR test at the Lagos and Abuja airports before departure.
Abaribe said that the Emirates airline then shut down flights to and from Nigeria owing to the disagreement between it and the aviation authorities on the propriety of subjecting passengers travelling from Nigeria to an emergency COVID-19 protocols.
He, however, said that after an interface between the authorities of the aviation ministry and Emirates airline, flights resumed but the airline continued to conduct tests for passengers before departure from Nigeria, a development that the federal government frowned at and thus suspended the airline from flying in Nigeria.
Abaribe further expressed concern that “there are allegations that hundreds of Nigerians living in UAE are losing their jobs on account of the refusal of the authorities to renew their work permit which offends the letters of bilateral agreements which both nations are signatory to.
“Worried that there are speculations that the refusal by the UAE authorities to renew work permit for Nigerians living in there is a calculated attempt to pressure the Nigerian Government into accepting their conditions of service for their national airline that may have lost humongous revenue from the Nigeria route.
“If the Nigerian government does not urgently engage the authorities of the UAE, thousands of Nigerians living and working will lose their jobs and means of livelihood hence the need for a quick interface with the authorities of the UAE.”
Accordingly, the upper chamber in a resolution mandated the Senate Committees on Foreign Affairs, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and National Security and Intelligence and Interior (Immigration Service) to interface with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) towards resolving the crisis and report back to the Senate within 2 weeks.
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