While acknowledging that the welfare of Nigerians must be prioritized, Gbajabiamila said the House would fine-tune some legislations to overcame the challenges that had inhibited early evacuation of the stranded citizens.
The second batch of stranded Nigerians evacuated from Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, arrived Port Sudan yesterday.
This came on a day Azman Air said it had received the approval of the federal government to airlift Nigerians stranded at the Egyptian border.
Recall that Air Peace had earlier offered to airlift the stranded strudents and other Nigerians free of charge.
This is even as speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday invited the minister of foreign affairs and officials of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, to appear before the House and give an account of the status of evacuation of stranded Nigerians.
It was learned that nine students in the second batch arrived Port Sudan on Monday night as they were moved into a different vehicles after their bus caught fire.
The Chairman, Nigerians Elders’ Forum in Sudan, Hashim Na’Allah, said: “Nine of us here are in Port Sudan with other students who came from Algazira state.
”We are almost 50 Nigerians inside a mosque where we were hosted since yesterday. The sisters were taken to another mosque.
“The remaining students, footballers and other businessmen are on their way as I was informed 30 minutes ago by a friend in the group.”
He added that they are almost entering Port Sudan.
Azman Air gets FG’s approval to airlift Nigerians from Egypt
Similarly, Azman Air has received the approval of the federal government to airlift Nigerians stranded at the Egyptian border.
On Monday, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, said Egypt had opened its border for the Nigerian students fleeing the war in Sudan.
In a tweet late Monday, the airline said it got the federal government’s approval to commence evacuation on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, which was yesterday.
“Azman Air has received the approval of the federal government to evacuate Nigerians stranded at the Egyptian border amid the Sudan crisis with the 409-seater Airbus A340-600.
“Evacuation is expected to commence from Tuesday 2nd May as we await final clearance from Egypt to depart,” the aviation firm tweeted.
Prior to this development, the federal government had sent 40 buses to evacuate Nigerians from Sudan, following the civil unrest that erupted in the Northeast region.
The buses cost the authorities about $1.2 million, with the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffery Onyeama
saying the high cost of the evacuation was to provide security cover for the Nigerians’ journey to the Egyptian borders.
Last week, the government said it expected the first batch of Nigerians stranded in Sudan to arrive in Abuja on Friday.
It also said a boeing 777 from Air Peace would depart Lagos and transport the first batch home, barring any unforeseen circumstances but things did not go as planned due to unexplained diplomatic constraints.
The conflict between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces, RSFl, a paramilitary group, has killed over 500 people and left many stranded.
Gbajabiamila to
meet foreign affairs
minister, NIDCOM,
NEMA on evacuation
Meanwhile, speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has invited the Minister of Foreign Affairs and officials of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, to appear before the House and give an account of the status of evacuation of stranded Nigerians.
Also invited to the meeting was the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.
The invitation was contained in Gbajabiamila’s welcome address to his colleagues at yesterday’s plenary.
Recall that the House adjourned plenary over a month ago for the governorship and State Assemblies’ elections conducted on March 18.
While acknowledging that the welfare of Nigerians must be prioritized, Gbajabiamila said the House would fine-tune some legislations to overcame the challenges that had inhibited early evacuation of the stranded citizens.