It was yet another drama at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport as the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba was prevented from boarding a plane to Togo by officials of Asky Airline.
As a result, the NLC has petitioned the Minister of Interior, Major General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) concerning the incident..
This was issued in a statement by the NLC secretariat in Abuja, signed by its General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson.
He explained that the officials of Asky Airline refused Comrade Wabba to board a plane even after he tendered his ECOWAS Travel Certificate duly issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria on behalf of ECOWAS.
According to the airline officials, the order to refuse Wabba to board the plane came from the Togolese Government. NLC wondered if the Government of Togo, a member of ECOWAS, does not recognize the travel document tendered by its president.
The statement reads, “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 into Senegal and Ghana in the past. We are not aware of the fact that the Republic of Togo has withdrawn its membership of ECOWAS.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 travelers of Nigerian origin.
“We hold the view that Nigerians, wherever they are, are deserving of protection if they act within the law. Comrade Ayuba 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 set-back to the Nigeria Labour Congress and Nigeria. Other Nigerians who have been so similarly treated, no doubt, have suffered various degrees of losse.
“In light of the above, we would wish to invite your intervention on this matter, at least, in order to save future occurrences.”
Dailytrust reveals that Immigration officials who witnessed this incident said many Nigerians have been subjected to this humiliating experience, adding that at the time of ticket purchase, the Airline did not deem it necessary to warn prospective passengers of ECOWAS origin that the Togolese Government does not accept or recognize the ECOWAS Travel Certificate.
The NLC revealed that pages of Comrade Wabba’s ECOWAS Travel Certificate was copied to Minister of Foreign Affairs; Executive Secretary, ECOWAS Commission; The Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Togo in Nigeria; and Controller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service.
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