*The Nigerian Senates discloses investigations have shown that Nigerians were possibly exploited at the Ghana International Airport in regard to explanations by the country鈥檚 Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19

Alexander Davis | 绿帽献妻

The Senate in the National Assembly (NASS), Abuja, has urged the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to liaise with the Ghanaian Government to strengthen bilateral relations between both countries to prevent further maltreatment of Nigerians entering Ghana.

绿帽献妻 gathered this directive was contained in the recommendations of the Senate after it considered a report by the Joint Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary); Primary Health and Communicable Diseases; and Foreign Affairs at plenary Wednesday, April 6, 2022, in Abuja.

Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of PSC on COVID-19

The report of the Joint Committee was based on a 鈥淢otion for the Urgent Need to Conduct Investigation on the Allegation of Fake COVID-19 Test Results Being Used to Defraud Nigerians in Ghana, and the Obtainment of Fake COVID-19 Vaccination Cards.鈥�

Sen. Yahaya Oloriegbe, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Health had presented the report to the Senate.

In his presentation on the floor of the Senate, the Federal lawmaker recalled that the investigation was necessitated by allegations that the Ghanaian authorities diagnosed Nigerians who travelled to their country of testing positive for COVID-19 even after testing negative in Nigeria.

It was alleged further that Nigerian travellers to the country were committed to isolation for two weeks at N70,000 equivalent daily, an amount running into millions of Naira, said Oloriegbe.

According to Chairman of the Joint Committee, investigations revealed that Nigerians were possibly exploited at the Ghana International Airport going by explanations by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19.

Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Chairman of聽 Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, told the investigative panel earlier, that Ghana conducted Rapid-Ag testing on arrival at the airport, he noted.

This, he said, had less sensitivity and specificity compared to the PCR test done in Nigeria.

Oloriegbe further stated: 鈥淔or this reason, it is expected that the Rapid-Ag Test will correctly classify Positive PCR tests but may fail to correctly classify all negative PCR test results.

鈥淭he Ministry of Foreign Affairs would need to establish and report back whether the reported case is an isolated event or systemic error or a fraud.鈥�

In connection with allegations of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards and test results, the legislator said the SGF had stated that for the purpose of international (outbound) travels, COVID-19 PCR tests were conducted by accredited laboratories.

This was verifiable on the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) platform through a QR Code, stated he.

The Joint Committee Chairman disclosed that the NCDC verification portal which hosts all validated PCR tests for outbound passengers, would be made visible to airlines so that certification can be done for airline staff.

Oloriegbe further said that the PSC utilised the services of security operatives to deal with passengers who blatantly refused to comply with travel protocols for both in-bound and out-bound passengers.

He, however, decried that in spite of聽 those measures, some 鈥渉igh-ranking officials鈥� or those 鈥渃onnected鈥� sometimes threatened the staff on duty and found a way to escape.

Sen. Oloriegbe said that the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, which appeared before the panel, sought the support of the National Assembly in this regard.

The intention, he also noted, is to ensure that all high-profile persons who failed to comply with existing protocols are prosecuted accordingly.

The Senate, in its resolutions, therefore, urged the Federal Ministry of Health and the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) to develop an exit protocol for all outbound passengers.

According to the Senate, this will enable the authentication of the vaccination cards and also ensure that for PCR tests certificates are conducted at the airport.