Togolese govt stops NLC President travelling with Ecowas passpost

 22nd February, 2016

 Major General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd)

Honourable Minister of Interior

Federal Ministry of Interior

Federal Secretariat

Abuja

  REQUEST FOR URGENT INTERVENTION

 We would wish to bring to your attention a matter we consider to be of national significance for the purpose of your urgent intervention, please.

 In the morning hours of Monday, February 22, 2016, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, mni, was prevented from travelling from the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja to Lome, Togo, by officials of Asky Airline.

Officials of Asky Airline who denied Comrade Wabba boarding on account of his tendering an ECOWAS Travel Certificate duly issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria on behalf of ECOWAS, said they were acting on the instructions of the Togolese Government.  In other words, according to them, the Government of Togo, a member of ECOWAS, does not recognize this document.

 Comrade Wabba’s ECOWAS travel document, as could be attested to from the attached photocopies, 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.

 Immigration officials who witnessed this incident said many Nigerians have been subjected to this humiliating experience.  It is curious that at the time of ticket purchase, Asky 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.

 Honourable Minister Sir, we are not aware of the fact that the Republic of Togo has withdrawn its membership of ECOWAS.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 losses.

 In light of the above, we would wish to invite your intervention on this matter, at least, in order to save future occurrences.

 While we await your response, please accept the assurances of our highest esteem.

Yours faithfully,

  Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson,

General Secretary.

 Encl:     Copies of pages of Comrade Wabba’s ECOWAS Travel

             Certificate

  cc:       (1)   Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs;

            (2)  Executive Secretary, ECOWAS Commission;

            (3)  The Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Togo in Nigeria;

            (4)  Controller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service.

Request for Urgent Intervention     

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook