The Togolese government
may have given orders to airlines flying into the country not to carry Nigerian
passengers holding the ECOWAS Travel Certificate, President of the Nigeria
Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Ayuba Wabba has said.
The
Nation report continues:
Wabba
said he was prevented from travelling to Lome with the ECOWAS travel document
by Asky Airline on Monday.
In
a petition to the Minister of Interior, NLC General Secretary Dr. Peter
Ozo-Eson said: “We bring to your attention a matter we consider to be of
national significance.
“In
the morning of Monday, February 22, 2016, the President of the Nigeria Labour
Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, was prevented from travelling from the Nnamdi
Azikwe International Airport, Abuja to Lome, Togo, by officials of Asky
Airline.
“Officials
of Asky Airline, who denied Comrade Wabba boarding on account of his ECOWAS
Travel Certificate issued by the Federal Government on behalf of ECOWAS, said
they were acting on the instructions of the Togolese government. In other
words, according to them, the government of Togo, a member of ECOWAS, does not recognize this document.
“Comrade
Wabba’s ECOWAS travel document was issued on July 16, 2015, and has an
expiration date of July 15, 2017. He has used the same document to enter
Senegal and Ghana.
“Immigration
officials, who witnessed this incident, said many Nigerians have been subjected
to this humiliating experience. It is curious that at the time of ticket
purchase, Asky Airline did not warn prospective passengers of ECOWAS origin
that the Togolese government does not accept or recognize the ECOWAS Travel
Certificate.
“We
are not aware of the fact that the Republic of Togo has withdrawn its
membership of ECOWAS. And if it is a subsisting member of ECOWAS, we find
it inexplicable that it could mete out this kind of treatment to travellers of
Nigerian origin.
“We
hold the view that Nigerians, wherever they are, are deserving of protection if
they act within the law. Comrade Wabba was expected at Lome this morning
for an activity of ITUC-Africa.
“The
disruption of his travel plan and, by extension, denial of his participation at
this major activity, has caused him considerable embarrassment as well as
constituted a setback to the Nigeria Labour Congress and Nigeria.
“Other Nigerians similarly
treated, no doubt, have suffered losses. We wish to invite your intervention on
this matter to save a recurrence.”
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