By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives on Tuesday resolved to intervene in the ongoing diplomatic dispute between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The House also resolved to set up an adhoc committees made up of members from various relevant committees such as Committees on Aviation, Foreign Affairs, Presidential Task Force(PTF) on Covid-19, National Security and Intelligence and Interior(Immigration Service).
Others include, National Orientation Agency, Diaspora and Treaties respectively, to interface with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aviation and National Intelligence Agency (NIA), PTF on Covid-19, immigration Service, Diaspora commission and National Orientation Agency on best ways of resolving the crisis and report back to the House within 4 weeks.
These followed the adoption of a motion on matter urgent public importance brought by Tue House Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, (PDP. Delta), wherein he noted that Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates(UAE) have had a positive diplomatic relationship and in 2009 the UAE established its embassy in Nigeria.
Presenting the motion “In December 2020 a memorandum of understanding was executed between Nigeria and the UAE to provide a platform for both countries to engage each other bilaterally.”
“In February 2021 the federal government of Nigeria stopped the UAE national carrier, emirates airline from subjecting Nigerian travellers to additional rapid antigen test as against its stipulated negative PCR test at the Lagos and Abuja airports before departure.
“Emirates airline then shut down flights to and from Nigeria owing to the disagreement between the airline and the aviation authorities on the propriety of subjecting passengers travelling from Nigeria to emergency COVID-19 protocols.
“Concerned that after an interface between the authorities of the Aviation Ministry and Emirates airline , flights resumed but the Emirates airline continued to conduct test for passengers before departure from Nigeria, a development the federal government frowned at and thus suspended the airline from flying to and from Nigeria.
“There are allegations that hundreds of legal resident Nigerians living in UAE are losing their jobs on account of the refusal of the authorities to renew their work permit which offends the letters of bilateral agreements which both nations are signatory to.
“There are speculations that the refusal by the UAE authorities to renew work permit for Nigerians living in the country is a calculated attempt to pressure the Nigerian Government into accepting their conditions of service for their national airline that may have lost humongous revenue from the Nigeria route.
