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Nigerians can now obtain UAE visas, says FG

Published

2 months ago

July 15, 2024

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Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, says Nigerians can now apply for and obtain visas to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Idris said the federal government has reached an agreement with the UAE to allow Nigerian passport holders to obtain visas for travel to the Arab nation starting today, July 15.

The minister spoke with the State House correspondents in Abuja on Monday, shortly after the weekly federal executive council (FEC) meeting.

He said the agreement includes updated controls and conditions to be fulfilled before the issuance of a UAE visa.

On December 13, 2021, the UAE issued a travel restriction on passengers from Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, citing a surge in the countries’ COVID-19 cases among passengers from the two African nations.

However, TheCable reported the travel ban might not be unconnected with the diplomatic row between Nigeria and the UAE over Air Peace’s flight frequency to the Arab country.

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Air Peace had requested a slot of three weekly flights from Nigeria to Sharjah Airport in the UAE, but only one was granted by the country’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

GCAA said Air Peace should not expect to retain its flight frequency after pulling out of Sharjah Airport; the Nigerian airline, however, denied the claim.

In retaliation for Air Peace’s treatment in the UAE, the federal government dropped Emirate’s slots from 21 to one, leading to the Dubai-based airline suspending all its flights to Nigeria.

In September 2023, the federal government said the airline would resume services in Nigeria, signaling a resolution of the dispute.

The assurance followed a meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mohamed bin Zayed, president of the United Arab Emirates.

But since the meeting and the federal government’s announcement, Emirates has yet to begin scheduled flight operations.

In April, Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, said Emirates Airlines is prepared to resume flight operations to Nigeria.

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Tinubu’s planned cabinet reshuffle won’t make any difference, says Buba Galadima

Published

1 hour ago

September 28, 2024

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Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), says President Bola Tinubu‘s planned cabinet reshuffle would not make any difference.

On September 25, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said Tinubu “has expressed his desire to reshuffle his cabinet and he will do it”.

Speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels TV on Friday, Galadima said reshuffling the cabinet would not curb food inflation.

Galadima claimed that the president intends to reward his cronies with the reshuffle.

“That (planned cabinet reshuffle) has nothing to do with me or any Nigerian. What is of importance to all of us is bringing down the harsh conditions of living and the buck stops only on the table of one man. That is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Galadima said.

“No amount of reshuffling can make a difference. As far as that team is only ‘job for the boys,’ nothing will come out of it.

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“Anybody that calls himself president or governor is responsible for their cabinet’s performance. He should be told that some of his appointees are more interested in their pockets than service delivery.

“I expected him to do better than this; and to hit the ground running.”

The NNPP chieftain asked Tinubu to find a solution to the country’s foreign exchange crisis “which has seen the naira performing abysmally”.

There have been growing calls from Nigerians and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Tinubu to reshuffle his cabinet and remove underperforming ministers.

Tinubu’s policies have driven petrol prices to record highs and depreciated the naira to record lows since he assumed the reins on May 29, 2023.

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Israel claims Hezbollah leader killed in Beirut strike

Published

2 hours ago

September 28, 2024

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The Israeli military announced early Saturday that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a strike on Beirut.

“Hassan Nasrallah is dead,” military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani announced on X. Military spokesman Captain David Avraham also confirmed to AFP that the Hezbollah chief had been “eliminated” following strikes Friday on the Lebanese capital.