South African authorities have granted landing permit to Air Peace Flight B777 to enable it to evacuate some 320 Nigerians escaping from xenophobia in that country, Nigeria’s Consul- General in Johannesburg, Godwin Adama, confirmed in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday.
Adama spoke against the background of a complaint by the Managing Director of Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyema, who had said the refusal of South Africa to grant the permit made it impossible for the flight to leave Lagos at 1a.m. for Johannesburg to convey the second batch of returnees.
The flight billed to airlift Nigerians from South Africa was initially delayed because authorities at the OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg refused to grant a landing permit to the airline for the flight. The flight was billed to take off at 1:00am early Tuesday to arrive Johannesburg at 7:00 am. The flight was also planned to leave the OR Tambo International Airport Johannesburg at 12:00 pm for Nigeria, to arrive the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos by 7:00 pm.
But Adama said the permit had been granted the airline and that the flight would be late in the night of Tuesday. Adama said, “They want Nigerians to arrive during the week, they are taking-off from here midnight. I do not know the exact time but they will be leaving (South Africa) midnight.
“I do not know why they were denied the landing permit. I think it is an airline operational issue. They did not get it yesterday but they told me that it came late yesterday (Monday). “It was weekend and they were going to get it this morning; the airline did not tell me it was deliberate, but they explained to me that they have gotten it. Our manifest arrived last night towards the close of work and they were to take-off 1a.m. Nigerian time yesterday (Monday) but they did not because it was late. I have gotten it now so they will be able to make me know the time of their arrival here so that we can know when to take-off.”
Adama said buses provided to convey Nigerians wanting to return home were still at the mission premises and everyone was there. “We are still really working on the number (320) to see how we can fill up the airline capacity with anyone that is readily available. We have more than enough, we are even trying to ensure that the aircraft is filled up that is why we are readily taking people who are on ground now. We have more than enough to fill the aircraft, the delay has also helped us because as we call names to board we see some people cleared at the last minute.
“The truth is they are people who have not been cleared, those who are ready to go are all here and we are trying to queue them up. We may not even be able to take all of them who are hopeful,” he added.
Adama said that the next batch of evacuation would be based on the Federal Government’s directives.
Meanwhile, House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, has vowed to take up the issue of the refusal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, to honor the invitation of the lawmakers to brief them on the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa. Ministers, heads of MDAs and parastatals are known to willingly ignore invitations of previous National Assemblies without any consequences, but it is clear that the leadership of the 9th assembly is not ready to take that.
A visibly angry Gbaja, who described the killing of Nigerians as a “nagging problem,” which required urgent and collective efforts of the lawmakers and the executive, expressed displeasure over Onyeama’s decision to ignore the House invitation on the matter. Referring ministers in President Buhari’s cabinet to the provisions of Section 88 and Section 89, Gbajabiamila warned that in the task of nation building in a democratic setting, no minister has the powers to ignore legislative invitation.
According to Gbaja, “I am speaking directly to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; I will be discussing further with Mr. President on the issue. I think if respect is reciprocal; if the House invites any member of the executive in our pursuit of happiness for all, then I think that should be respected.
“The minister has been asked on several occasions since this incident broke, by the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and once, by the leadership of the House, for a full and proper briefing on what happened – what transpired in South Africa; because it is only when the committee or the leadership see the facts that we can actually address the issues properly.
“It is unfortunate that on all those occasions, the minister has not responded to the chairman’s invitation. And even when the chairman wrote that the leadership needed to meet with the minister, he did not respond. I believe we are one government and I believe we are here to serve the interest of Nigerians. Let me use this platform to send a direct appeal to the Minister of Foreign Affair, and all the ministers for that matter that we need to respect the invitation that comes from this House, and particularly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs because of an issue that is so important. I would want to refer him to the provisions of the constitution, particularly Sections 88 and 89. And that is all I have to say on that matter; to refer him to the provisions of Section 88 and Section 89.”
