Why we soft-pedalled on travel ban, by Federal Government

The government said it will require the concurrence of neighbouring countries for the ban to be effective.

Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated these when he featured on a Radio Nigeria programme, “Politics Nationwide’’ on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mohammed said: “Although the government is concerned over the importation of the COVID-19 new strain, it did not want to take a hasty decision.”

He said the Presidential Committee on COVID-19 deliberated on the issue at its meeting on Monday and decided to watch the development for the time being.

He said they are working with West African Health Organisations and other neighbouring countries, particularly, Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana.

“We did not want to take a hasty decision to ban flight from the UK into Nigeria only to find out our people are going through Cotonou, Lome or Accra to come into the country.

“What the airlines will do is to transfer Nigerian passengers to these routes and they will enter the country through the land borders.

“This will lead into hardship to Nigerians because if you transfer your economy to other countries, you lose a lot of money

“However, if we get the concurrence of these other countries, we will not hesitate to do the needful.

“We are consulting and being very careful in order to take a proper decision,’’ he said.

The minister gave the hint on Monday that the Federal Government might impose travel ban to and from certain parts of the world into the country.

Mohammed clarified that the Federal government has not declared a fresh lockdown of the country, following confirmation of the second wave of COVID-19.