The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has rebuffed the travel ban placed on Nigeria by Canada and UK over the Omicron variant and described it as “precipitate, unfair and discriminatory.”
The governors made this known in a statement issued by its chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.
Part of the Governor’s statement read: “Only three cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus were detected in Nigeria less than a week ago, precisely on December 1. Canada and the United Kingdom have hastily included Nigeria among the Omicron-present countries which must stay away from their shores, an action viewed by the NGF as precipitate, unfair and discriminatory.”
The NGF argued that “there is also no evidence that harsh, blanket travel bans will protect the countries that impose them,” and described the ban as ironical when the WHO advised that “rational proportional risk reduction measures” be taken by countries.
The governors enumerated the procedures given by the WHO to include screening passengers before departure and arrival in a country or making sure the travellers’ quarantine.
The governors further stated that “The NGF, therefore, urges the WHO to intervene in this matter by setting uniform standards that are acceptable to all for banning countries across the globe. As we know, vaccine hesitancy is quite high and for many reasons, including disruptive announcements like this, which could exacerbate distrust of the vaccine and heighten hesitancy.”
