By Dr. Diti Olawale.
The relationship between India and Nigeria is well over sixty years now. This relationship transcends trade and diplomacy but also involves educational exchange and of recent, medical tourism.
Many Nigerians have been flocking to India for medical attention and things became very difficult due to the COVID – 19 pandemic which made India and other nations to impose nationwide lockdown. This has made it impossible for many Nigerians who came to India for medical attention to return home after treatment.
The Nigeria High Commission has made strenuous efforts to keep in touch with Nigerians who want to return home in the midst of the lockdown. According to information, about 200 Nigerians have paid for the chartered flight which was to take them to Nigeria on May 17 despite the very high cost of the flight.
Unfortunately, the passengers could not depart on May 17 due to some reasons which we were made to know emanated from Nigeria.
The new date for the departure of this chartered flight is May 31st. However, a distressing video message emanated from the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs yesterday in which he was stating that there will be an extension to the evacuation of Nigerians from abroad to anytime from next week. The implications of this statement is that the evacuation of Nigerians from India on May 31st is very unlikely.
It is on this note that the following submissions are being made:
1. The passengers are already getting to high levels of stress due to this constant changes in their departure dates. They are stranded and in constant agitation because they want to get back home. No where is like home!
2. The passengers are incurring high cost of hotel and hospital accommodation due to the delay in their evacuation by the Nigerian government. Many are daily borrowing money to keep them afloat in India. They are strangers in India and not working in India.
3. It has been reported that two of the passengers have died in this course of waiting for them to be evacuated to Nigeria. No doubt, this pain is beyond imagination and description.
4. Some of these passengers are supposed to have commenced theit needful follow-up/continuation of their treatments at designated hospitals in Nigeria but this delay in evacuation is seriously hindering them. No doubt this is not good for their health and all efforts must be made to avoid a relapse/remission of the sicknesses! These passengers are in between a rock and a hard place!
5. The Indian government has done well by granting gratis visa to these passengers whose visas have since expired. This gratis visa was up till May 17. Further delay in the evacuation of these Nigerians is compelling the Indian government to request payments for visas that have expired on May 17. We cannot blame the Indian government because they’ve done well so far.
Moreover, the number of COVID-19 cases is increasing daily in India and the government has to attend to the needs of their own people also.
It is on account of all the above reasons and other points that could not be captured on this page that a strong appeal is being made to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari and the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama as well as the Task Force on COVID-19 in Nigeria headed by Mr. Boss Mustapha to ensure that this present batch of Nigerians waiting for evacuation be allowed to depart on May 31 unfailingly for God’s sake. Please consider all the pains and struggles they have gone through and let the date not be extended again!!!
Thanks for your consideration.
God bless Nigeria.
▪ Olawale is the Director, Noohra Integrated Services Pvt. Ltd. in
India. He sent this via WhatsApp.