The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi GbajabiamilaOn Tuesday, he met with Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika, his Foreign Relations counterpart, Geoffrey Onyeama, and Airpeace President Allen Onyema on the line of flights between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.
The meeting was held behind closed doors in the National Assembly.
Members of the House Aviation Committee had gathered at the meeting location, but after about two hours of waiting, it was announced that the Speaker was already meeting with ministers in his office.
Lawmakers waiting at the scene expressed dissatisfaction with the development.
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After the closed session, Mr. Gbajabiamila, together with the ministers, briefed journalists on the outcome of the parliament.
“These are welcome developments considering the relationship between the UAE and Nigeria, particularly in the last few days the president has been there, the vice president has been there, many of our government officials have been there to foster stronger ties between the two. countries.
“And that is why we are not going to allow this to spoil the giant steps that have been achieved between the two countries,” the Spokesman said.
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Mr. Gbajabiamila also praised Nigerians for supporting the government in defending the “national pride” of the country. He noted that “national pride, if well justified, trumps anything else.”
The House had decided to intervene in line following a motion tabled by Ndudi Elemelu (PDP, Delta) in November.
Nigeria had reduced the position of Emirate Airline to one of the initial 21 positions approved in retaliation for the “unfair” treatment of the airline Air Peace.
Dubai-based Emirates had suspended all its flights to Abuja and Lagos after the Nigerian government’s decision on the airline.
Following the controversy, the United Arab Emirates, in a letter signed by the Director General of the General Authority for Civil Aviation, Mohammed Ahli, directly to Air Peace, offered the airline the option of flying directly to Dubai and not to Sharjah airport. that you had previously requested.
He said the spaces are available to Air Peace “as a gesture of goodwill and in support of relations between the two countries.”