By Aiyeku Timothy
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Smart Adeyemi, on Monday in Abuja, gave the hint that the National Assembly and the Ministry of Aviation are considering banning flights from the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries with high rates of COVID-19.
While admitting that discussions would be held, the Kogi West Senator disclosed that a decision would be reached and announced next week.
It was gathered that the decision by the Federal Government is traced to the pressures on it to stop further spread of coronavirus by banning flights from nations with high rates of the virus.
Also, the President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof Innocent Ujah, had on Sunday, said travelers from the UK and the US were worsening COVID-19 cases in Nigeria.
The NMA president stated, “Government knows that they (travellers from the UK and the US) are the ones responsible for increase in cases and the results have shown that and government knows what they should do.”
Meanwhile, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, on Thursday imposed fresh requirements on passengers from the UK and South Africa, flights from the two countries were not banned.
The PTF only opened registers for travellers from the two countries because of deadlier strains of coronavirus discovered there.
However, Adeyemi, in the interview said the National Assembly and the Federal Government were concerned about the second wave of COVID-19.
He said that the joint National Assembly Committees on Aviation, the Aviation Ministry, and agencies in the sector had been holding regular meetings in the past few days on the matter.
“The National Assembly Joint Committee on Aviation is discussing with the Ministry of Aviation and we are looking at what can be done and the right steps to be taken.
“COVID-19 is of great concern to everyone and it has been proven that it is real. Nigeria as a country has been able to contain the situation because our people are very conscious of the protocol.”
