Following diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Senate on Tuesday resolved that it would intervene to resolve the impasse between both countries.
The decision to intervene in the disagreement was reached at plenary sequel to a point of order by the Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.
Abaribe, who relied on Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules noted that 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.
Accordingly, the Senate mandated its committees on Foreign Affairs, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 and National Security and Intelligence and Interior (Immigration Service), respectively, to interface with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) on best ways of resolving this crisis and report back to the Senate within two weeks.
Giving insight into the circumstances surrounding the disagreement between both countries, Abaribe said that 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.
Abaribe further said that 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.
Abaribe further said that after an interface between the authorities of the Federal Ministry of Aviation 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.
He therefore expressed concern that, “there are allegations that hundreds of legal resident Nigeria 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.
In the words of Abaribe; “Worried that there are speculations that the refusal by the UAE authorities to renew work permit for Nigerians living in there 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.
“Further worried that if the Nigerian government does not urgently engage the authorities of the UAE, thousands of Nigerians living and working will lose their jobs and means of livelihood hence the need for a quick interface with the authorities of the UAE,” he said.
