Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Alhaji Sharafa Ishola
By Our Reporter
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Alhaji Sharafa Ishola, has described the travel ban placed on Nigeria by the United Kingdom 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.
The United Kingdom on Monday justified its travel ban on Nigeria, saying the measure was a temporary measure aimed at protecting its public health.
The Head of Communications, British High Commission, Dean Hurlock, stated this while responding to enquiries from journalists..
In a related development, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed described the travel ban as discriminatory.
He stated this at a press conference in Abuja.
Mohammed, condemned travel bans by the UK, Canada, Indonesia, Hong Kong and others.
The minister, who is also a member of the steering committee, said, “As you are aware, Britain has put Nigeria on its red list and banned foreign travels from our country.
“Let me say straight away that it’s up to the Presidential Steering Committee to respond to this action by the British government and others, and I have no doubt that the committee will respond appropriately.”
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.
He said it was obvious that many in the West were upset that their predictions on COVID-19 infections had failed to materialise.
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 African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, and his entourage despite the country recording a large number of Omicron cases.
He said even the United Nations had faulted the recent travel bans, adding that it was nonsensical and nothing but travel apartheid.
“If somebody who is a Nigerian but holds a British passport is allowed to enter Britain, he is as risky as I am. Is it the passport that now reduces his risk? That doesn’t make sense. If my cousin who holds a British passport stays in my house and is going back, you allow him to come in but you say I can’t?” Mohammed asked.
He faulted claims that Nigeria deserved to be banned because 21 persons with history of travel to Nigeria had tested positive in the UK.
The minister wondered why other European countries were banned by the UK including those with Omicron cases.
“I don’t think the issue is how many people have tested positive or how many people Britain claims have tested positive. My position is very clear. Is travel ban the answer? The answer is no. Number one, where is the origin of this Omicron variant? It is definitely not Africa or Nigeria,” Mohammed said.
The minister argued that the travel ban was counterproductive and wondered why British citizens coming from Nigeria were still allowed in.
“How do you slam this kind of discriminatory action on a country of 200 million people, just because of less than two dozen cases? Whereas British citizens and residents are allowed to come in from Nigeria, non-residents from the same country are banned.
“The two groups are coming from the same country, but being subjected to different conditions. Why won’t Britain allow people in both categories to come in, and be subjected to the same conditions of testing and quarantine? This is why this decision to ban travellers from Nigeria, who are neither citizens nor residents, is grossly discriminatory and punitive.”
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.
