Foreign News
Omicron RedList: Archbishop of Canterbury Condemns Nigeria’s Red Listing, Calls It Travel Apartheid
The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev. Justin Welby yesterday waded into the growing outrage among Nigerians condemning the United Kingdom’s (UK) inclusion of Nigeria in its COVID-19 red list without justification, saying it was a “travel apartheid” and calls for it to be scrapped.
In series of tweets on his Twitter handle,@JustinWelby, the Archbishop of Canterbury urged the UK government to abolish what he described as the “morally wrong and self-defeating” red list.
The United Nations Secretary General had a few days ago described the action of the UK government as travel Apartheid, targeted at poor nations.
Nigeria’s Senate yesterday, also insisted that the travel ban was discriminatory and an attack on diplomatic relations between the two nations and called for the UK to remove it.
The Red chamber at plenary accordingly, called on the British authorities to consider removing Nigeria from the red list.
However, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) yesterday confirmed three more omicron cases in Nigeria.
The centre also said that Nigeria has been notified by the UK government of seven cases of travellers from Nigeria with the infection.
This was just as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has threatened to ban from Nigeria, any airline operating international services that do not abide by the country’s COVID-19 protocols for passengers as issued by the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC).
Nigeria became the 11th country to go on the UK’s red list for international travelon Monday. All nations currently on that list are African.
The only people allowed to enter the UK from these countries are UK or Irish nationals, or UK residents. They would have to pay for and self-isolate in a pre-booked government-approved hotel for a total of 10 days.
But in a message to his 165,000 Twitter followers, the Archbishop wrote: “With #Omicron set to become the dominant variant in the UK, I appeal to the British government to remove Nigeria and South Africa from the red list – together with all other countries currently on it.
“We must find fair and effective approaches for those who are vaccinated and tested to enter the UK. I agree with the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK – we cannot have ‘travel apartheid’.
“It is also morally wrong – and self-defeating – effectively to punish other nations for being transparent when they discover new Covid variants, as @ArchbishopThabo of Cape Town has said.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had said that blanket travel bans would not stop the spread of the variant, and could potentially discourage countries from reporting and sharing important data on coronavirus.
Welby had previously criticised the addition of Nigeria, Botswana and South Africa to the red list, saying they were “countries already suffering that will suffer more.”
Senate Wants Nigeria Removed from Red List
Furthermore, the Senate advised the UK government to be sensitive to the diplomatic relationship between both countries when taking decision that affect Nigerian citizens.
It urged the federal government to engage British authorities to reverse Nigeria’s inclusion on the red list.
The upper chamber also charged the administration to remain firm in the enforcement of necessary protocols in the containment of every COVID-19 variant in Nigeria.
It further advised developing countries which it listed to include Britain, Canada, United States of America, the European Union, among others, to take urgent and bold steps to ensure vaccine equity in the interest of the entire human race.
The resolutions were reached by the Senate sequel to the consideration of a motion on the, “Need for Government of the United Kingdom to remove Nigeria from COVID-19 Red List,” sponsored by the former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu (Enugu West).
Coming under order 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules, Ekweremadu noted with satisfaction the efforts of the Government of Nigeria in the containment and treatment of COVID-19 cases.
According to him: “Nigeria is among the countries with the lowest cases of COVID-19.”
“The decision by the British Government to include Nigeria in their COVID-19 list, with its concomitant implications, will affect many citizens of Nigeria, who had planned to spend their Christmas and New Year holiday with their families.
“Also worried that Nigerians with genuine needs to visit the U.K within this period will be denied visa and those with visa will not be allowed to enter the U.K.”
The ranking Senator noted that Nigerians have consistently complied with all the COVID-19 protocols required by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UK Government for travelers prior to the ban.
He emphasised that, “targeting African countries, especially in the COVID-19 travel ban, amounts to profiling and discrimination as well as an attack on our cordial diplomatic relationship with the UK.”
Ekweremadu drew the attention of the lawmakers to global concerns over vaccines hoarding and inequity and the resulting consequences on low-income nations in the fight against COVID-19.
In his contribution, Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, said the decision to include Nigeria on the UK COVID-19 red list posed a strain on the diplomatic relationship between both countries, just as he bemoaned the poor treatment of Nigeria by the UK government.
He, therefore, called on the British Parliament to intervene with a view to having Nigeria removed from the country’s COVID-19 red list.
Lawan added: “Let there be justification for it. We are not saying that they cannot put any country on the red list, including Nigeria, but there must be reasons for doing that.
“And of course, Nigeria has done so well to the admiration of many countries in the area of containment of COVID-19. Therefore, we don’t see any reason why Nigeria will be on that so called red list.
“I believe that Nigerians deserve better treatment from the British government. I’m using this opportunity to ask the British Parliament to mount pressure on their government to remove Nigeria from the so called red list.”
Meanwhile, members of the House of Representatives were sharply divided yesterday, following a debate on the decision of the UK to place temporary visa ban on Nigerians after the discovery of omicron variant.
While some House of Representatives members were of the views that the decision of the UK government against Nigerians was harsh and racist, others believed it was a wake-up call on the government and those in authority to fix the country, especially the health and education sector.
While the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idris Wase who presided over the plenary allocated more time for the debate on temporary visa ban to run for almost an hour, the debate on the death of a pupil at Dowen College, Lagos didn’t enjoy the same preference.
Moving the motion, the Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu said the decision of the UK government came only a few days after Canada extended its travel ban to travelers who recently visited Nigeria.
He said though the ban was for Nigerians bound for the UK, it does not exempt over 8,000 Nigerian travelers that had bought air tickets to visit Nigeria during the yuletide period, saying the restriction would affect their re-entry into the UK after holidays.
Elumelu noted that rather than seek to work with its commonwealth ally on ways to combat and curtail the spread of this new variant, the UK government decided to outright ban Nigerian travelers from entering their country.
According to him, this was in sharp contrast to that of the United States government whose response was for travelers to produce evidence of negative test result at the point of departure as well as a day two test result after arrival in their country, a response that have received wide commendation across board,
The lawmaker further expressed worry that the UK government chose to announce the ban without discussing the data in its possession with the Nigerian government, but instead gave an hour notice to the Nigeria authorities before its inclusion on the red list, contrary to known international convention.
Elumelu said the Omicron variant has now been found in over 40 countries around the world including many from the European Union, but only Nigeria and a few African countries were banned by the UK government.
The minority leader stressed that if the Nigerian government does not urgently engage the authorities of UK, the decision could have a significant impact on businesses and travelers intending to carry out lawful transactions in the UK as opportunities and investments already made would be lost, hence the need for a quick interface.
Elumelu noted that children who school abroad and had thought of returning home during this festive period to rejoin with their families and with fears that when they later go back would be subjected to 10 days mandatory isolation centre and be made to pay £2,700 for such hotel bookings may be totally discouraged from coming home and thereby deny such families the opportunity of their children rejoining them for this annual family union.
Contributing, Hon. Aminu Suleiman said there was a need for the country to do internal assessment.
He said Nigeria has already admitted to having an omicron variant, saying there was no need castigating another sovereign country for taking such a decision as it has the right to do so.
On his part, Hon. Nicholas Ossai said the issue canvassed by the minority leader was germane, adding that there was need to meet with the British government and resolve the issue diplomatically.
In his submission, Hon. Nnonli Nnaji said inasmuch as he aligned himself to the motion, the message from the action by the UK government was for Nigerians to fix their country.
On his part, Hon. Onofiok Luke said there was a need for introspection, stressing that there was need to join hands with the leadership to make sure that the right things are done.
He said rather than blaming other countries, there was a need to fix the country and make things work.
NCDC Confirms Three New Cases of Omicron Variant
However, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has
confirmed three more cases of the COVID-19 with the B.1.1.529 SARS-CoV-2 lineage, which is the omicron variant, in Nigeria.
A statement signed by the Director General of NCDC, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, noted that given reports of increasing numbers of omicron cases in the UK, the NCDC was prioritising the sequencing of COVID-19 positive samples in travellers with history of travel to the UK.
The three new cases bring the total number of omicron variant so far detected in Nigeria to six.
NCDC had previously announced the detection of three cases of omicron variant on December 2021.
In the statement, Adetifa said all omicron cases so far detected in Nigeria were detected in persons with recent travel history to South Africa in November.
“In line with Article 44 of the International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR) reporting framework, the federal government of Nigeria through the NCDC has also been notified by the UK government of seven cases of travellers from Nigeria with the Omicron variant.
“Given the reports of increasing numbers of Omicron cases in the UK, the NCDC is also prioritising the sequencing of COVID-19 positive samples in travellers with history of travel to the UK,” it explained.
The NCDC said it would through the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) continue to coordinate genomic surveillance activities across the country to sequence all positive COVID-19 samples from international travellers arriving in Nigeria.
“This includes sequencing of positive samples from international travellers from October 2021 to date,” said NCDC.
The Centre however maintained that the Delta variant has remained the dominant variant than the new omicron variant.
It also stated that there was no evidence of generalised or community transmission of this variant in Nigeria.
The Centre said it would continue implement effective public heath measures such as mask use, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and defaulters which may include publication of their details, suspension of their passports take personal and collective responsibility to ensure the safety of all Nigerians.
Furthermore, it advised that incoming travellers should ensure their day two and day seven tests are done into effect on day five in compliance with the travel protocols provided by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID19.
“The NCDC and the Federal Ministry of Health urges members of the public to continue to COVID-19 (PSC-COVID-19) is mandatory for all international travellers arriving in Nigeria and ban on travel to Nigeria by the PSC-COVID-19.
NCAA Threatens to Ban International Airlines
The NCAA has threatened to ban from Nigeria any airline operating international services that does not abide by COVID-19 protocols for its passengers, as issued by the PSC.
It stressed that non-compliance to the boarding requirements by any airline would attract a penalty of $3, 500 per passenger adding that airlines which consistently fail to comply with these requirements, may be banned from coming to Nigeria.
The aviation regulatory authority insisted that the airlines must follow revised quarantine protocol for travellers arriving or departing Nigeria. It also said passengers must follow the revised provisional quarantine protocol as updated by the PSC on COVID-19.
NCAA therefore directed all airline operators to convey to travellers the revised provisional quarantine protocol.
In a statement dated December 3, 2021, and directed to airline accountable managers and country manager, it stated: “Airlines are to however note that protocols for international flight operations issued on 1st July 2021 still subsists.”
On inbound passengers, the NCAA stated that airlines are to only board passengers travelling to Nigeria who are in possession of a paid permit to travel with QR Code and result of a negative COVID-19 PCR test done not later than 48 hours from time of boarding the flight.
“For any inbound passenger who is unable to either make payment for his /her repeat PCR test(s) or generate a paid permit to travel via the Nigerian international Travel Portal (NIPT), airlines are to send an email to designated email addresses for necessary assistance,” it added.
The statement which was signed by the NCAA Director General, Captain Musa Nuhu also stated that for outbound flights, airlines are to only board passengers travelling out of Nigeria with evidence of either full vaccination for COVID-19 or result of negative COVID-19 PCR test done at NCDC accredited private laboratories not later than 48 hours from time of boarding.
Nigeria Can Only Embark on Retaliatory Action as Last Resort, Says NIIA
In a related development, the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, yesterday argued that unless all other avenue’s had been exhausted, Nigeria may not retaliate.
Speaking on ARISE Television, THISDAY’s broadcast arm, Osaghae who was reacting to calls by some Nigerians to ban UK citizens from the country in like manner, argued that until all other alternatives to a peaceful resolution were fully deployed, retaliation would not be necessary.
“By the way, if you have exhausted all possible avenues for addressing disagreements or conflicts of this nature, then of course, you know if all these fail, you can then resort to reciprocity.
“I’m sure that you know that this is not something that is beyond resolution and as the chair of our response team, the secretary to the government of the federation said yesterday that there are talks going on behind the scene and we hope that this issue will be resolved,” he stressed.
Osaghae expressed the hope that the issue doesn’t degenerate in the coming days, saying that the British response had been too highhanded and discriminatory.
“ At the last count, there were 47 countries that had reported cases of Omicron, the variant, and out of these 47, there are only about six in Africa. And when you introduce travel restrictions, it is not to all of these 47 countries, it’s only to the Southern African countries and Nigeria.
“And yet the evidence suggests that this (virus) is not restricted to Africa. It’s not restricted to Nigeria. And Nigeria itself is not a source. It’s not an originator. The fact that it was detected, that doesn’t make South Africa the owner,” he added.THISDAY
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned a US decision to extend the period during which Russia is allowed to sell oil despite Western sanctions.
The move means countries can purchase Russian oil and petroleum products already loaded on vessels at sea until 16 May.
The US argues that the waiver is meant to ease the energy supply crunch sparked by the US-Israel war with Iran.
But in his remarks on Sunday, Zelensky said “every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for the war” in Ukraine. Widespread sanctions have been in place against Russia since President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
The devastating US and Israel attacks against Iran have prompted it to retaliate not only against Israel and US military bases in the Gulf, but also against energy fatalities and other civilian sites across Arab allies of the US in the region.
Additionally, Iran has virtually shut the Strait of Hormuz – the narrow passage where some 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) is usually transported through.
This has led to turmoil in energy markets, with fears that a world recession may ensue if it is not reopened soon.
The US move to ease Russian sanctions on 13 March was widely condemned by Zelensky as well as his European allies.
Extending the waiver on Friday, the US said it wanted “to ensure oil is available to those who need it” as negotiations to end the war “accelerate”.
The Ukrainian leader said Russia had more than 110 tankers from its “shadow fleet” – vessels with obscured ownership designed to help it bypass sanctions – with “over 12 million tons” of oil.
Their sale, he added, would bring $10bn (£7.4bn) to Moscow’s coffers as “a resource that is directly converted into new strikes against Ukraine”.
The Ukrainian leader did not explain what those figures were based on.
But he added that just over the past week, Russia had launched “over 2,360 attack drones, more than 1,320 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 60 missiles of various types at our cities and communities”.
That included the deadliest attack against Ukraine in months on 15 April during which more than 700 drones and missiles were used in multiple waves in one night, killing at least 18 people.
Ukraine has also attacked Russia, particularly focusing on energy facilities.
However, despite ongoing attacks, a stalemate has been reached in the war in Ukraine, with Russia in control of about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
Efforts led by the US to end the war have been put on hold as a result of the war in Iran.
Pope Leo has criticised leaders who spend billions on wars and said the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants” in unusually forceful comments during a visit to Cameroon.
The pontiff blasted those he said had manipulated “the very name of God” for their own gain, while touring a region ravaged by a deadly insurgency.
The remarks come just days after a high-profile spat with US President Donald Trump, who posted a lengthy attack on the Pope, a vocal critic of the US-Israeli military operation in Iran.
The Pope had voiced his concern about Trump’s threat that “a whole civilisation will die” if Iran did not agree to US demands to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.
Leo, who last year became the first US-born Pope, has previously also questioned the Trump administration’s approach to immigration.
“Leo should get his act together as Pope,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post at the time.
The Pope told reporters at the start of his Africa tour that he did not want to get into a debate with Trump but would continue to promote peace.
Speaking in Cameroon, the Pope criticised leaders who “turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found”.
“The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild,” he said on Thursday.
The Pope also condemned “an endless cycle of destabilisation and death” in a “bloodstained” region of Cameroon that has been gripped by insurgency for nearly a decade.
“Those who rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilisation and death,” he told those gathered at a cathedral in the north-western city of Bamenda – the centre of the violence that has left at least 6,000 people dead and displaced many more.
“Peace is not something we must invent: it is something we must embrace by accepting our neighbour as a brother and as our sister,” the Pope said.
Separatist insurgents in Cameroon’s two Anglophone regions have been fighting the predominantly Francophone government since 2017.
Following Leo’s address, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, said that she stood with the Pope in his “courageous call for a kingdom of peace”.
The war in Iran has increasingly placed the Pope and the Trump administration at odds.
Soon after the first US and Israeli attacks on Iran, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recited a highly controversial prayer at a Pentagon worship service that talked of “overwhelming violence” and “justice executed swiftly and without remorse”.
Then, during a Palm Sunday Mass in St Peter’s Square, the Pope said the conflict between Iran, Israel and the US was “atrocious” and that Jesus could not be used to justify war.
“This is our God: Jesus, king of peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” he told tens of thousands of worshippers gathered in Vatican City.
“He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
The pontiff also quoted the Bible passage Isaiah 1:15: “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.”
Earlier this week, Trump launched a scathing attack on the Pope on social media, in which he described the leader of the Catholic Church as “WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy” while portraying himself as a Jesus-like figure.
He later doubled-down on his criticism and refused to apologise – but deleted the AI-generated image of himself.
Asked about the US president’s remarks as he arrived in Algiers, the Pope said he had “no fear” of the Trump administration and that he would continue to speak out against war.
The Catholic leader’s wide-ranging Africa tour will include stops in 11 cities across four countries. It is his second major foreign visit since being elected to the papacy last year, and reflects the importance of Catholicism in Africa.
More than a fifth of the world’s Catholics – some 288 million people – live in Africa, according to figures from 2024.
Kenya has sharply raised the cost of petroleum, with diesel prices rising by a record margin despite a fuel tax cut, as the conflict in Iran pushes up global oil prices.
In its latest review, the energy regulator raised the cost of diesel by 40 Kenya shillings to 206 ($1.
6; £1. 2) a litre, while petrol rose by 28 shillings to a similar level. It said this reflected higher global oil and shipping costs, even as the government cut value added tax to 13% from 16%.The new prices will last until 14 May when the next review is due.
Fuel shortages have been reported in parts of the country, although the government insists stocks are sufficient and accuses some fuel companies of hoarding supplies.
The reports of shortages have been overshadowed by controversy over an allegedly substandard consignment imported last month outside government-to-government arrangements and at a significantly higher cost.
Reports that the fuel may have entered the market after being blended with stocks in government storage tanks have sparked public outrage and calls for accountability.
The government has previously said it cancelled the consignment amid concerns over its quality and cost and barred oil marketers from selling it. The matter, which led to the arrest and resignation of senior energy officials, is still under investigation.
On Wednesday, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) said the disputed consignment had not been included in the computation of the new prices.
The price rises come amid the global fuel crisis caused by the US-Israel war with Iran that began on 28 February.
Concerns remain that the energy crisis may deepen despite a conditional two-week ceasefire signed last Wednesday that included opening the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for global oil and gas supplies.
Shipments through the strait have largely been at a standstill since the war began.
Countries have taken various measures to cope with the crisis and cushion consumers from the price shocks, including cutting taxes and minimising wastage.
Kenya’s directive to cut VAT on fuel is scheduled to last until July. South Africa announced a one-month cut in the fuel levy two weeks ago to limit pump prices.
Other African countries to have announced similar measures include Zambia, Namibia and Ghana, while South Sudan announced electricity rationing and Ethiopia prioritised certain sectors to deal with the crisis.
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