The Nigerian senate has asked the Nigeria centre for disease control (NCDC), Airline operators, port officials and relevant stakeholders in the health and aviation industry to stop demanding for covid -19 forms from passengers coming into the country.
The upper chamber also mandated all relevant agencies to revert immediately to the new post-covid-19 protocols as issued by the presidential steering committee on covid -19 headed by the secretary to the government of the federation Boss Mustapha
This followed a point of order by the chairman senate committee on health and senator representing Kwara Central Ibrahim Oloriegbe coming under order 42 of the senate standing rules, lamenting that Passengers have continuously been harassed by officials at the various international airports causing unnecessary delays and psychological trauma on them.
Oloriegbe says the NCDC has clearly refused to follow the new directives and still insists that incoming passengers to Nigeria must Complete the covid-19 forms online through their portal.
According to senator Oloriegbe, the act by these operatives must stop as the government has already made a statement on what should be the revised protocol
He further asked the NCDC to shut down their portal and inform all airlines that there is no need for passengers to fill any form online while coming into Nigeria at the port of entry
Also Read : COVID 19: NCAA issues public health protocols to airlines
He noted that Nigeria’s aviation authority, on the 12th of December 2022 had written a memo to all airline operators and other stakeholders in the aviation industry on the new protocols
Adding that the NCAA circular made it clear that the covid 19 PCR test for all passengers irrespective of their vaccination status are no longer required.
The lawmaker says despite the orders by the aviation regulator(NCAA) the various agencies have refused to adhere to the new protocol which must stop.
Editor : Ena Agbanoma
