Travel Ban- FG Alleges Action Discriminatory
The United Kingdom on Monday justified it’s travel ban on Nigeria, saying the measure was a temporary measure aimed at protecting it’s public health. The head of communication, British High Commission, Dean Hurlock, stated this on Monday, just as the Federal Government said the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 would respond to the travel ban. Also, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK, Alhaji Sharafa Ishola, described the travel ban as apartheid. Britain had on Saturday banned Nigerian travellers after it said it discovered 21 cases of the Omicron variant in people who recently visited Nigeria. Last week, Canada banned Nigerian travellers after the detection of the variant in persons who visited Nigeria.The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, faulted the ban, saying it would hurt livelihoods. But the head of communications British High Commission said the UK was aware of the significant impact of the travel ban. “These are temporary measures that have been introduced to prevent further Omicron cases from entering the UK, and will be examined at a review point on December 20.”
The Minister of Information and Culture, Mohammed, condemned travel bans by the UK, Canada, Indonesia, Hong Kong and others. Mohammed argued that the decision of Britain was based on discrimination and prejudice and not science because so far, no one had died of the Omicron strain. The Minister noted that many from the UK had also tested positive in Nigeria but Britain was not banned. He also explained why Nigeria still received South Africa President, Cyril Ramaphosa, and his entourage despite the country recording a large number of Omicron cases. The Minister argued that the travel ban was counterproductive and wondered why British citizens coming from Nigeria were still allowed in. He said the vaccine apartheid whereby developed countries denied developing nations vaccines was what propelled COVID-19 mutations. Mohammed maintained that developed nations must understand that until everyone is safe, no one is safe.
