The COVID-19 flight ban seems to have gotten to Nigeria, as the Federal Government who have been at the receiving end of such treatments from countries across the world, is set to retaliate with its own COVID-19 flight ban, targeting such countries as the United Kingdom, Argentina, Canada, and Saudi Arabia.
The COVID-19 flight ban decision may be announced on Tuesday, 14 December according to the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika.
The minister in a leaked video obtained by various media houses and seen stressed that the decision of the COVID-19 flight ban on these countries was a retaliatory move and would be made public by the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC).
The UK had imposed travel restrictions on Nigeria, claiming that 21 cases of Omicron recorded in England were linked to travellers from Nigeria.
But the travel ban was trailed by global outrage with some national and international stakeholders describing it as racist and discriminatory.
The federal government had also condemned the decision of the UK, with the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, describing it as discriminatory, unfair, punitive, indefensible, and unjust.
In the Audio the Minister said: “Also, there is a case of Saudi Arabia, which put Nigeria on the banned list – no visa, no travel, et cetera. So also Canada. So, today, there was a meeting, I participated in a zoom meeting, COVID-19 task force, just for your information also.
“We have given our input in aviation, it is not acceptable by us and we recommend that those countries – Canada, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and Argentina be also put on Red List, as they did similarly to us.
“If they don’t allow our citizens to go into their countries who are their airlines coming to pick from our country?
“So, I am very sure that in the next few days, between now and Monday, or perhaps Tuesday, at maximum, all those countries will be put on the red list from the PSC (Presidential Steering Committee) from the task force of COVID-19. Once they are put on the red list, which means they are banned, of course, their airlines will be banned.
“I’m so sorry, we are going through a difficult moment, but we have to do it in the interest of our country,” Sirika explained.