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Omicron: No Plans to Restrict Anybody Coming from Another Country – FG
The Federal Government has insisted there are no plans at the moment to restrict foreigners from travelling into Nigeria.
The Health Minister, Dr Osagie Ehanire, stated this while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday night.
Ehanire also claimed that most of the in-bound passengers that tested positive for COVID-19 were from the UK.
In the last week, Nigeria has been handed travel bans by Canada, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Ehanire said the knee-jerk reaction of some countries was unfortunate.
The Minister also said even the World Health Organisation (WHO) had said recently that countries should focus more on working together, rather than shutting borders.
“At the moment we have no plans restricting anybody coming from another country,” Ehanire said.
The UK announced that it found 21 cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant which were linked to Nigeria.
It further confirmed that from Monday (today), all flights emanating from Nigeria would be restricted. All pending visa applications in Nigeria have also been suspended, due to the ban on flights from Nigeria due to the Omicron variant.
“We are watching what the science community is saying and of course not rushing to judgment and we are also not applauding any lockdowns or any prohibitions or banning of flights or movement of people until we know more.
“We believe that the harm it will do to livelihoods and economies may be more than the perceived value that will be derived from shutting movement between countries.
“I believe countries should come together to take a common approach and that includes the UK and other countries contemplating a red list.”
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
