About 35 American oil workers invited by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) were denied entry to the state by the Cross River State government after they arrival into the country with a chartered flight from the United States.
Cross River Government insisted that the Americans must be tested locally before they would be allowed into the state.
According to the itinerary of the workers, they arrived Nigeria by charter flight with flight number FLT AIR X CHARTER LTD/9H-BIG/AXY2929/A 343 and were supposed to be taken to a barge, bathed at the shore in Calabar, Cross River state, where they were to be quarantined for 14 days.
But on their arrival yesterday morning by 7:26 am, the charter flight from Lagos to Calabar arranged with Air Peace did not take place because Cross River State refused them entry and insisted that they must be tested for Coronavirus in Nigeria before they would be allowed to come into the state.
THISDAY learnt that they were abandoned at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport when they arrived to about 5:00 pm when Air Peace decided to take them to Abuja and made arrangement for hotel accommodation for them.
“The American workers were invited by NNPC to work in the Bonga oil field and the national oil company has secured all the authorisation for them to come into the country with the ministerial approval for the charter flight to bring them to Nigeria.
“Air Peace was supposed to fly them to Calabar on their arrival but the Cross River state government insisted that they would not be allowed to come into the country. They said that they must undergo a coronavirus test in Nigeria; although the Americans said they have done the test in the US, but the government said they must do one in Nigeria before they are allowed to come to Calabar.
“They were left at the airport since they arrived in the morning and they later moved from international wing of the Lagos airport to the local terminal. They were exhausted and hungry. So Air Peace decided to take them to Abuja. The airline made special arrangement because many hotels in Abuja have closed. At least they will refresh themselves and NNPC will have to resolve the issue,” an inside source told THISDAY.
THISDAY learnt earlier that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was duly notified at their arrival.
This was confirmed by the Director of Consumer Protection, NCAA, Adamu Abdullahi.
THISDAY
