President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has said the travel ban imposed by some western countries over the discovery of the Omicron COVID-19 variant is discriminatory and unproductive in the long run.
At the last count, 10 countries, including Nigeria and South Africa, have been banned over the new COVID variant, which was first reported on the continent.
Among those who have imposed the ban are the UK, US, and EU.
During a joint press conference with President Muhammadu Buhari at the end of the 10th Session of Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) held in Abuja, Ramaphosa thanked the leaders of Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal for expressing their dissatisfaction with the travel ban imposed on South Africa and sister neighbouring countries.
READ ALSO:
“I think it is important that I emphasise this in the light of the discovery by South African scientists of the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus and subsequent imposition of extremely harsh and unfair travel restrictions on flights from and to South Africa as well as on a number of other African countries.”
“President Buhari, the solidarity expressed by yourself and the Government of Nigeria sends the strongest message. It says that as African countries, we are standing united against the imposition of arbitrary and discriminatory restrictions that are not only unscientific, but counterproductive in the long run.
“Indeed, the leaders of Cote d’Ivoire where we are traveling to later today, as well as the leaders of Ghana and Senegal, have also expressed their dissatisfaction with the travel ban against South Africa and our sister countries in southern Africa.
“This is a global pandemic. And overcoming it requires that we collaborate and work together as a collective. The resulting damage to this travel ban to the economies of the countries affected will be considerable and long lasting.
“So, I want to use this opportunity to once again call on the countries who have imposed this ban to reverse their decisions, whether they are in the northern, more developed economies or in other parts of our continent and elsewhere,” he said.
Daily Trust
BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025 The Super Eagles of Nigeria have secured their…
Disaster averted as bird strike hits Abuja-Lagos Air Peace flight An Abuja-Lagos flight was…
NNPC achieves 1.8mbpd crude oil production The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and…
BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year The federal government has unveiled…
EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)…
FG gets fresh $134m loan from AfDB for agric projects The Federal Government has secured a…