Your Decision To Place Travel Ban On Nigeria Discriminatory – Senate Tells UK

The Nigerian Senate has frowned at the decision of the United Kingdom Government to slam a travel ban on Nigeria due to discovered cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

The Red Chamber stated that the travel ban was discriminatory and unfair, asking the Executive to meet with the British authorities in order to lift the ban and remove Nigeria from its red list.

Ezenwoko’s Blog recalls that the United Kingdom on Saturday banned all flights from Nigeria following the three cases of the Omicron Variant detected in the country.

This is coming after the Canadian government also imposed a travel ban on Nigeria after detecting the variant from travellers who landed in the country from Nigeria.

Moving a motion on Tuesday on the floor of the chamber, Senator Ike Ekweremadu (PDP – Enugu West) said the decision by the British government to include Nigeria in their COVID-19 list was unjust and cruel.

He stated that the ban has affected many Nigerians who had planned to spend their Christmas and New Year holidays with their families in the country.

The former Deputy Senate President said that the cases of the Omicron variant didn’t originate from Nigeria, hence it was wrong of the UK government to place a travel ban on Nigeria.

He, however, said the travel ban amounts to profiling and discrimination as well as an attack on Nigeria’s cordial diplomatic relationship with the UK.

While adopting the motion, the Senate asked the UK government to do the needful by reversing its decision to ban flights from Nigeria.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan, thereafter, put the motion to a voice vote and was adopted by the Senate.