A former envoy of Nigeria to the U.S, Ambassador Joe Keshi has urged the Nigerian government to be strategic in taking advantage of the ongoing aviation wrangling between it and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to re-write past wrongs.
The diplomat said though Nigeria is at a disadvantage due to economic reasons, the Federal Government can still profit from the row by dragging UAE to the negotiation table over aviation agreements signed by both countries, reportedly skewed in favour of the Arab nation.
According to him, Nigeria needs to stand up to UAE and reject the disrespect and insult being thrown at it, noting that the seven flight slots later approved for Nigeria on Monday by the UAE following the aviation imbroglio was not enough.
Keshi recalled that the aviation row between both countries came few days after President Muhammadu Buhari had returned from Dubai where he attended Expo 2020. He explained that the UAE’s aviation ministry should have acted in that way, given the fact that the Nigerian president was in its country days ago.
He said this while speaking during an interview with the Arise Television, monitored by The New Diplomat.
In his words, “In the first place. I remember during my service years, we pay very close attention to presidential basics. I told some friends who were worried that Nigeria might ban the flight to fly to South Africa, because of the Omicron, and I said to them, No, the President of South Africa is expected in this country in a few days time. And I don’t see Nigeria, in its right senses banning a flight from South Africa, not even few days after the President has left. Even if they’re going to do anything, it might take a couple of weeks and months.
“And the president of Nigeria has just left your country, you know, and the next thing you did was to start embarassing a country like Nigeria. Again, it boils down to something as simple as in fact they believe that, oh, we so love their country, we can do anything to be Dubai for Christmas holidays, and they can put pressure on us.”
The former Ambassador also called out to the Nigerian government to renegotiate the bilateral agreements signed with UAE.
He noted that both countries should be given equal share of flight slots rather than allowing one country dictate for another.
The New Diplomat had reported that the Federal government last week reduced the flight slots given to Emirates Airline.
Many sources in the aviation industry have linked the decision to the ill-treatment of Air Peace, a Nigerian carrier.
The UAE had conceded three flight slots to Air Peace, restricting the Nigerian carrier to only operate in Sharjah Airport, the country’s second busiest airport.
Sources in the aviation industry had said the Federal Government had at different times expressed its displeasure at the treatment of Air Peace, given the fact that the Emirates Airline, a UAE carrier was granted 21 flight slots as well as licence to operate in the Abuja and Lagos international airports.
Speaking on the row, Keshi said there is a need for Nigeria to renegotiate its stance with its UAE counterpart. According to him, Nigeria has little to lose in the ongoing crisis, saying that UAE will incur a lot of financial losses.
He continued, “For we elites and I put myself in there, we should honestly begin to think seriously about this country and about building up the capacity for this country to do a lot of things for itself and stop taking insult from these countries. There’s absolutely nothing wrong in what has been done, the law is very clear the answer is very clear. I’ve been involved in a number of past agreements over the years, and I know that the Federal Government is right to insist that you give us what is in the books.
“The fact that you dictate to us, you say you will take 21 or 20 flights and what we take is one, it’s an absolute insult on this country. And we must face the reality. So let nobody cry over the fact that I’m not going to spend the holidays in Dubai as planned, or bla bla bla bla No. For once, let’s support this government to teach these people a lesson that at the end of the day, yes, some Nigerians will suffer but they would also lose financially.
“How many people from there come to this country? Very few. But a lot of Nigerians travel to Dubai and so they make money, which for now they will lose, particularly during this Christmas period. So we have an advantage that we can play on. And I sincerely hope that we play on it.”
