CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC!
‘Nigerian Government ready to liaise with British Airways to evacuate over 500 Nigerians living in United States and the United Kingdom’– Boss Mustapha, Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19
* 300 Nigerians are to be evacuated from the United States, 200 from the United Kingdom immediately
All Nigerian citizens who will be evacuated will be quarantined in the available facilities rather than the self-isolation- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama
BY HELEN IDUMO/WRITER, ABUJA
THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT HAS expressed its readiness to liaise with British Airways on the evacuation of over 500 Nigerians living in the United States and the United Kingdom who have expressed interest to return to Nigeria.
Federal Government on Thursday through the office of the Chairman, Presidential Task Force, PTF, on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha during an interactive session with the leadership of the National Assembly led by the Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, confirmed this development and urged the PTF to stagger the number considering the limitation in the available isolation facilities.
According to the Task Force, about 300 Nigerians are to be evacuated from the United States, 200 are to be evacuated from the United Kingdom, and the undisclosed number of Nigerian nationals from other countries. Mustapha who doubles the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), assured that the Federal Government is doing its “utmost best to evacuate all our citizens.”
While noting that the Americans who were evacuated from Nigeria paid for the entire cost of their travels, he expressed Federal Government’s readiness to pay part of the cost of airlifting Nigerian citizens “because of the predicament of our people.”
He said the government will “probably reduce the cost to see how the government will intervene since it is the responsibility of government to ensure the welfare of the people and their security.”
He maintained that the Nigerian government has over the years taken the responsibility of providing assistance to any of its citizens who got stranded during any international football competitions.
In the same vein, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, explained that the Ministry has been in touch with the UK Mission to see the visibility of using the British Airways which is coming to evacuate the British nationals, to airlift all those who have expressed interest in returning back to Nigeria as the pandemic continues to ravage all the countries of the world.
According to him, the Presidential Task Force has been requested to fund the exercise in order to make the evacuation possible.
While responding to modalities put in place to adhere to the 14-days quarantine period, the Minister disclosed that all the citizens who will be evacuated will be quarantined in the available facilities rather than the self-isolation. (Nigerian Tribune)
Support NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER’S journalism of integrity and credibility
CERTAINLY, Good journalism costs a lot of money. Without doubt, only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government. We are ready to hold every corrupt government accountable to the citizens.
To continually enjoy free access to the best investigative journalism in Nigeria, we are requesting of you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.
By contributing to NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all without fear or favor.
Your
donation is voluntary — please decide how much and how often you
want to give. For offline donation, email:
letters@nigeriastandardnewspaper.com
or call +2348037128048 (Nigeria) or +16825834890 (United
States
of
America)
donation
