UK COVID-19 red list: Senate condemns Nigeria’s inclusion

The Senate on Tuesday joined the federal government to condemn the travel ban placed on Nigerian citizens by the United Kingdom in its move to mitigate the spread of the pandemic.

Sequel to the Omicron variant spread across countries, the United Kingdom last Saturday added Nigeria to its red list category.

According to the United Kingdom travel advisory, Nigerians who do not have UK citizenship or residence permit could no longer travel to the country until the advisory is revised. The rule also applies to even fully vaccinated persons.

The Senate in its resolution said there was no justification for Nigeria’s inclusion in the United Kingdom’s COVID-19 red list.

The Red Chamber asked the British authorities to consider removing Nigeria from the red list.

It further advised the UK government to be sensitive to the diplomatic relations between both countries when taking decisions that affects Nigerian citizens.

The Senate called on the Federal Government to engage the British authorities to reverse Nigeria’s inclusion on the red list.

It equally charged the administration to remain firm in the enforcement of necessary protocols in the containment of every COVID-19 variant in Nigeria.

The Senate called on major vaccines powers, namely, 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.

The Senate resolutions were sequel to a motion, “Need for Government of the United Kingdom to remove Nigeria from COVID-19 Red List, ” sponsored by former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu .

Coming under orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules, the Senator representing Enugu West, recalled proactive measures by the federal government in the containment and treatment of COVID-19 cases.

He said: “Nigeria is among the countries with the lowest cases of COVID-19.”

“The decision by the British Government to include Nigeria in their COVID-19 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.

“Also worried that Nigerians with genuine needs to visit the U.K within this period will be denied visa and those with visa will not be allowed to enter the U.K.”

The lawmaker noted that Nigerians have consistently complied with all the COVID-19 protocols required by the World Health Organization (WHO) and U.K Government for travellers prior to the ban.

He emphasized that, “targeting African countries, especially in the COVID-19 travel ban, amounts to profiling and discrimination as well as an attack on our cordial diplomatic relationship with the U.K.”

Ekweremadu drew the attention of the chamber to global concerns over vaccine hoarding and inequity and the resulting consequences on low-income nations in the fight against COVID-19.

In his concluding remarks, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said that the decision to include Nigeria on the UK COVID-19 red list poses a strain on the diplomatic relations between both countries.

He bemoaned the poor treatment of Nigeria by the UK government.

Lawan asked the British Parliament to intervene with a view to having Nigeria removed from the country’s COVID-19 red list.

“Let there be justification for it. We are not saying that they cannot put any country on the red list, including Nigeria, but there must be reasons for doing that.

“[And] of course, Nigeria has done so well to the admiration of many countries in the area of containment of COVID-19.

“Therefore, we don’t see any reason why Nigeria will be on that so-called red list.

“I believe that Nigerians deserve better treatment from the British government.

“I’m using this opportunity to ask the British Parliament to mount pressure on their government to remove Nigeria from the so-called red list.”

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