Senate Condemns UK Travel Ban On Nigerians Over Omicron

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.”…