House Summons Dabiri, Others Over Evacuation Challenges In Sudan

The House of Representatives has called on Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) Chairman Abike Dabiri, and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officials to discuss the difficulties faced in evacuating Nigerians stranded in Sudan.

Naija News gathered that the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila issued the invitation during a recent plenary session.

The ongoing civil war in Sudan has prompted an emergency evacuation of Nigerians from the conflict-ridden country.

However, the $1.2 million plan to evacuate 3,500 Nigerians via Egypt has encountered numerous problems.

Some Nigerian students, officials in the last few days claimed that they were stuck at the border of Egypt.

Dabiri-Erewa on Monday, however, said the border was opened after President Muhammadu Buhari spoke with Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the Egyptian president.

Gbajabiamila cited inter-agency rivalry as a significant challenge, stating, “The House is aware of ongoing difficulties with the evacuation efforts and the federal 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.”

The Speaker instructed House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Yusuf Buba to issue the invitation.