By Femi Oyelola
Countries across the globe value security, law and order; thus, every aspect of life is regulated with provisions of laws that can help the citizens and others to appropriately coooperate with the government to properly manage the system in a manner that would promote peace, unity and development.
It is a general practice for countries to take legitimate measures to protect the lives and property of its citizens.
Therefore, it was not surprising in 2022 when the United Arab Emirates, (UAE) banned nationals of about 20 African countries from crossing its borders. A statement from the Emirates stated that the authority will not be posting 30-day visa applications for these nationalities effective October 18, 2022.
The affected countries included Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, Liberia, Burundi, Republic of Guinea, Gambia, Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Benin, Ivory Coast, Congo, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Comoros, and the Dominican Republic.
“Any applications from the above-mentioned countries will be sent back or cancelled,” said the notice. However, it does not affect persons holding diplomatic passports.
An investigation by our Correspondent shows that the visa ban might not be unconnected with cult clashes between rival groups-Eiye and Aiye- which erupted in the Sharjah part of the UAE allegedly perpetrated by Nigerians. The police in a statement on July 21, 2022, simply said the suspects were of African origin and warned residents against engaging in violence.
“The Dubai Police has arrested a group of people, who were engaged in a heated argument in their residence at late hours. The group of African people appeared in a viral video on social media platforms while fighting in a public place and damaging property,” the statement read.
Since the ban, the UAE and Nigeria have been locked in a diplomatic row over issues involving flight allocations and travel restrictions.
UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority, (GCAA), had approved a slot of three weekly flights from Nigeria to Sharjah Airport. The single flight was approved for Air Peace.
In retaliation to the UAE’s treatment of Air Peace, the Federal Government dropped the Emirates’ slots from 21 to one. The move made the Dubai-based airline suspended all its flights to Nigeria. This led to almost total collapse of the political and business relationships between the two parties.
But in a reconciliatory move, President Bola Tinubu, met with Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President, in Abu Dhabi, on Monday, September 11, 2023; and
the United Arab Emirates (UAE) finally lifted its visa ban imposed on Nigerian travellers after the engagement.
The feat was said to be in recognition of President Tinubu’s economic development, diplomacy drive and proposals presented by Tinubu to his counterpart.
An agreed framework has been established, which will involve several billions of U.S. dollars worth of new investments into the Nigerian economy across multiple sectors, including defence, agriculture, and others, by the investment arms of the Government of the United Arab Emirates.
The Presidency on Tuesday said Nigerian cabinet officials and their Emirates counterparts will soon finalise the terms of Monday’s visa ban lift.
Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson, in a statement, said Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to “immediately resume flight schedules in and out of Nigeria without any further delay.
“As negotiated between the two heads of state, this immediate restoration of flight activity, through these two airlines and between the two countries, does not involve any immediate payment by the Nigerian government,” the statement read.
However, mixed reactions have trailled the lifting of the ban. The former lawmaker representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Senator Shehu Sani, commended President Bola Tinubu’s move to end the Dubai visa ban placed on Nigeria by the United Arab Emirates.
The former lawmaker opined that President Tinubu’s move to end the Dubai Visa ban was a welcome development.
He, however, advised the Federal Government to checkmate the activities of bad elements in the country to make the government’s efforts efficient.
“The efforts by the FG to reach out to the UAE Government to end the Dubai Visa ban is a welcome development, but the Nigerian Government has a lot to do to checkmate the criminal activities of some of our unscrupulous citizens”, Sani stated.
He added that no responsible country will allow anyone to tarnish their hard-earned reputation, or destroy what they have built over the years. “It took them years of hard work to build their country. No responsible country will allow such criminal activities.”
Sani stressed that bad eggs in the country must be fished out and blacklisted. “People suspected or involved in violent crimes, drug peddling, or racketeering must be stopped and blacklisted by the Nigerian Immigration Service right here. We need to work on ourselves first,” he concluded.
Similarly, Yusuf Isihaku Goje of Kaduna Accountability Mechanisms, (KADLGAM), is of the view that the lifting of the visa ban on Nigerians by the UAE is a welcome development, especially for the business community and resumption of airline services.
Goje added that this followed unsuccessful attempts by the administration of former President Muhammad Buhari to get the ban lifted, saying the importance and benefits of trade relationships between the two countries cannot be overstated.
He stressed that nonetheless, while that was the right step in the right direction, the critical question the Nigerian government needed to answer is, what comprehensive step is being taken and the timeline to address the underlying factors that necessitated the ban by the UAE government in the first place.
The Citizen Activist believes that the country cannot celebrate yet, as about 133 million Nigerians are said to be multidimensionally poor and the projected unemployment rate is put at about 41 percent.
“Sure, the economic shocks as a result of fuel subsidy removal have further pushed millions into poverty and unemployment. This has therefore increased the tendency for a rise in criminalities with many of the perpetrators currently part of the ‘Japa’ wave.
“Nigeria has been popular not just for exporting quality human and natural resources, but also corruption, fraudsters, cultists, drug peddlers and other criminals.
“The government needs to take proactive and sustainable steps in addressing the underlying factors enabling the export of citizens engaging in international crimes.
“This will mean transparent and accountable public investments in human capital and infrastructure development as well as creating the enabling environment for wealth and job creation.
“Importantly, serious effort needs to be invested in rebranding the negative image of Nigeria. This should start with the current President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Goje said.
However, the National President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, (AYCF), Yerima Shettima, differs on the lifting of the visa ban.
The youth activist congratulated President Tinubu for being able to get the visa ban lifted, saying business can return fully between the two countries.
According to him, all frequent passengers to the UAE would be delighted about the ban lift. He observed that if Air Peace starts flying into Dubai, Emirates will reduce its price because they know that its price will be lower and will want to match theirs, so they don’t lose most of their passengers.
“So, there’s a possibility that fares will be reduced given the competition between Emirates and Air Peace which is indeed very good for the country,” Shettima observed.
Obersvers have pointed out that the lifting of the visa ban did not call for celebration, but a time for inward thinking by the think tanks in the corridors of power to ensure that the negative image of Nigeria in the global community as a result of criminal activities of some of our unscrupulous citizens is remedied
In the world of Senator Sani; “People suspected or involved in violent crimes, drug peddling, or racketeering must be stopped and blacklisted by the Nigerian Immigration Service right here. We need to work on ourselves first.”
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