Pantami Flies Family Out to Dubai on Vacation Amid Nigeria–UAE Diplomatic Row

• In the midst of the Nigeria–UAE diplomatic row, Buhari’s Minister, Pantami, flies his wife and children on Emirates’ flight to Dubai for a vacation.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, flew his wife and children to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on the contentious Emirates Airline on Sunday, amid a blazing diplomatic conflict between the Middle Eastern country and Nigeria.

According to SaharaReporter, Pantami flew his wife and children to Dubai on vacation while many Nigerians are now being turned away from airports because UAE had instructed airlines not to bring Nigerians into their country.

“Pantami flew his wife and children yesterday (Sunday) on Emirates to Dubai for vacation. She left yesterday with his children on vacation.

“The minister flew his family out when there is a lingering diplomatic issue between the UAE and Nigeria. Other Nigerians are now turned away from airports because the UAE said they would not take Nigerian passengers,” a source revealed to SaharaReporters.

READ ALSO: ‘We Never Left Sharjah Airport’- Air Peace Denies UAE’s Claim

EKO HOT BLOG had reported that the Nigerian government ordered that the UAE-operated airlines come in only once a week to reciprocate the country’s one slot given to Nigerian airline, Air Peace, saying the UAE violated bilateral air agreement.

Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation, revealed this in an audio message acquired exclusively by SaharaReporters, in which he stated that the UAE authorities issued a “insulting letter” to Nigeria, citing illogical excuses for why Air Peace was refused enough frequencies in the UAE.

Sirika had said, “So this is very insulting and this is not acceptable by international treaties, conventions and agreements. And therefore I directed that they also be given one frequency and into Abuja and beginning from December 12. From December 13, they will only come once into the country.
“So, anyone who wants to get into Emirates should get out by December 12.

“I know they cannot bear the pressure. Honestly, who cares? By their not coming, they are losing a lot of money and we also in Nigeria are losing the service they provide. But the sovereignty of 200 million people is too important to toy with.”

It was earlier reported that the UAE wrote to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority saying its action to limit Emirates’ flights to once weekly was unjustifiable.

In a letter dated December 10 and signed by Abdulla Bin Touq Al Mari, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority, the Arabian country stated that the NCAA’s action regarding the Air Peace’s approval in Sharjah was “not in line with the spirit of the agreed air services arrangements between our two nations.”

The dispute between the two countries widened on Monday, when the UAE said airlines should no longer bring Nigerians into the country.

In addition, the Nigerian government claimed that it will place the United Kingdom, Canada, and Saudi Arabia on the red list over the Omicron virus in the coming days and prohibit their airlines from flying to Nigeria in reprisal for barring Nigerians from traveling to their countries.

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