The Nigerian Senate has resolved to intervene in the diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates, UAE, following allegations that hundreds of legal resident Nigerians living in UAE are losing their jobs on account of refusal of the authorities to renew their work permit .
The decision was reached after a point of order by the Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who during plenary expressed concerns that, the action by UAE is against the bilateral agreements which both nations are signatory to.
Senator Abaribe coming under Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules recalled that in December 2020, a memorandum of understanding was executed between Nigeria and the UAE to provide a platform for both countries to engage bilaterally.
The federal lawmaker noted that in February 2021, the federal government 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.
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According to Abaribe, 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.
According to senator Abaribe 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 huge revenue from the Nigeria route.
The Senate in it’s resolution mandated the Senate Committees on Foreign Affairs, Presidential steering committee on Covid-19 and national security, intelligence and Interior (Immigration Service), respectively, to interface with the ministry of Foreign Affairs, and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) on resolving the crisis and report back to the Senate within two weeks.
(Editor: Hadiza .A.A)
