The Federal Government may soon retaliate the move by the United Kingdom (UK) and other countries that placed Nigeria on a red list due to the new covid-19 variant called Omicron.
In an audio released by the Director of Public Affairs in the Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu, over the weekend, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, stated that some countries had put Nigeria on red list and the country was going to do same to them.
According to him, since they did not want citizens from Nigeria visiting their country, their citizens also have no business visiting Nigeria.
“We recommend that those countries, Canada, United Kingdom (UK), Saudi Arabia and Argentina should also be put on red list, just like they did to us.
“And if they don’t allow our citizens to go into their country, why are they coming with their airlines to pick out their citizens out of our country! They might as well stop coming.
“I am very sure in the next three days, between now and Monday, or perhaps Tuesday maximum, all those countries will be put on red list.
“Once they are put on red list, which means they are banned, then, of course, their airlines will also be banned.
“I am so sorry we are going through a difficult moment, but we have to do it in the interest of our country” the Minister reaffirmed.
The UK, Saudi Arabia, Canada and Argentina recently put Nigeria on red list due to the identification COVID-19 Omicron variant among Nigerians.
The minister also lamented that Nigeria had granted United Arab Emirates (UAE) 21 frequency to Lagos and Abuja but the UAE denied Air Peace, a Nigerian airline three frequency, saying The minister described the letter by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to the Nigerian government explaining why it was not possible for UAE to grant Nigeria 3 frequency as insulting.
“So they wrote us a letter, very insulting letter, that verifying agreement and meetings in accordance to the bilateral agreement between the two countries, and having looked at our operations, with great pain, we are given you (Air peace) one slot in Sharjah.
“And that this is the best we can do under the circumstances because our airports are full. This is very insulting and not acceptable by International Treaty, Conventions or Agreements.
“So, I directed that they (Emirates) also be given one frequency into Abuja beginning from the 12th December, 2021.
“From the 13th of December, 2021, they will only come once a week into the country, so anybody who wants to get out should get out on the 12th December, and if he want to get out using Emirates, he should make sure his return ticket is on Thursday and he is coming to Abuja,” Sirika explained.
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