The Nigerian Senate has condemned what it called the inclusion of Nigeria in the UK’s COVID-19 red list without justification.
It, therefore, called on the British authorities to consider removing Nigeria from the red list describing the travel ban as discriminatory and an attack on diplomatic relations.
The Senate further advised the UK government to be sensitive to the diplomatic relations between both countries when taking a decision that affects Nigerian citizens just as it urged the Federal Government to engage the British authorities to reverse Nigeria’s inclusion on the UK’s COVID-19 red list.
It also charged the administration to remain firm in the enforcement of necessary protocols in the containment of every COVID-19 variant in Nigeria and asked major vaccines powers, like Britain, Canada, America, and the European Union, among others, to take urgent and bold steps to ensure vaccine equity in the interest of the entire human race.
These resolutions were reached by the chamber following the consideration of a motion on the “Need for Government of the United Kingdom to remove Nigeria from COVID-19 Red List” sponsored by Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
Coming under order forty-two and fifty-two of the Senate Rules, Ekweremadu noted with satisfaction the efforts of the Government of Nigeria in the containment and treatment of COVID-19 cases.
He said, “Nigeria is among the countries with the lowest cases of COVID-19 but the decision of the British Government to include Nigeria in their COVID-19 red 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.
In his remarks, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said that the decision to include Nigeria on the UK’s COVID-19 red list poses a strain on the diplomatic relations between both countries bemoaning the poor treatment of Nigerians by the UK government.
Lawan, therefore, called on the British Parliament to intervene with a view to having Nigeria removed from the country’s COVID-19 red list especially without justification.