Sudan Evacuation: House Of Reps Summons Foreign Affairs Minister, Others

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has invited the Minister of Foreign Affairs and officials from the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to appear before the House, to give an account of the status of evacuation efforts of Nigerians in Sudan.

Gbajabiamila said that the invitation follows the war in Sudan.

He said; “Over the last few weeks, the Republic of Sudan has descended into war. Unfortunately, this rapid descent into the carnage of violent conflict has entrapped many Nigerians resident in that country. Efforts are underway to ensure that our citizens resident in the Republic of Sudan, as students, business people and in other vocations, are evacuated quickly and safely.”

The Speaker said that he has requested the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to invite the Minister and officials from the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

“The House is aware of ongoing difficulties with the evacuation efforts and the Nigerian government’s response to the developments in the Republic of Sudan. We are also mindful that some of these difficulties flow from interagency disagreements arising from overlapping mandates and the absence of established operational guidelines for such circumstances. While our priority is to ensure the welfare and well-being of our fellow citizens caught in this war, we must further revisit the statutory and other frameworks that have left us seemingly unprepared to respond promptly and effectively,” he said.

The Speaker noted that the conflict in the Republic of Sudan reminds the House of the fragility of nations.

Gbajabiamila said; “In pursuing our political objectives, we must never lose sight of the fundamental truth that in war, everybody loses; in peace, everybody can win. All our personal, partisan and sectional interests must always succumb to the overarching and overriding interest of ensuring the unity and stability of Nigeria. If we fail in this regard, nothing else will matter, and none of us will be absolved in the judgment of history.”

Mercy Chukwudiebere