The upper chamber of the National Assembly has directed its Committees on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), Primary Health and Communicable Diseases and Foreign Affairs to conduct detailed investigations on the two allegations of fake COVID-19 test result being used to defraud Nigerians in Ghana and obtainment or use of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards.
Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe sponsored a resolution titled “urgent need to conduct probe on accusation of false COVID-19 test results being used to swindle Nigerians in Ghana and the acquisition of phony COVID-19 vaccination cards” (APC, Kwara Central).
The Senate’s decision to investigate the claim against Ghanaian officials came after a slew of allegations and complaints from Nigerian passengers held in Ghanaian detention centers.
The directive followed a motion titled, “urgent need to conduct investigation on allegation of fake COVID-19 test results being used to defraud Nigerians in Ghana and the obtainment of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards,” sponsored by Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central).
The decision by the Senate to investigate the allegation against the Ghanaian authorities, also followed numerous allegations and complaints made by Nigerian travelers isolated at Ghanaian isolation facilities.
Leading debate on the motion, Senator Oloriegbe recalled that the COVID-19 infection was declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in February 2020.
He noted that, “while the global roll-out of COVID-19 vaccinations continues to accelerate, only around one percent of the world’s population have received their full course of injections.
“Billions are still waiting for their first dose, which inevitably leads those people to question exactly when they will get it, especially as plans are being made internationally to allow those that have been vaccinated, or can prove they have had a recent negative test, the freedom to travel to other countries, attend large-scale events, take a new job, and more;
“Notes also that there’s a strong and growing demand for vaccinations and test results because of the greater freedoms they will give to people. Also, there will always be people who don’t want to wait for their official vaccination, or for an official negative test result – and shady people willing to service that demand.
The lawmaker further hinted that there is a serious allegation that the Ghanaian authorities are diagnosing Nigerians who travel to their country of testing positive for Covid even after testing negative in Nigeria.
He , however, observed that the Ghanaian authorities, usually, commit Nigerians who visit their country to isolation for two weeks and are made to pay about seventy thousand naira per day.
Oloriegbe also observed that the allegation was exposed by a Nigerian artiste, who was told in Ghana that he had Covid-19 even after testing negative at a Nigerian facility in Nigeria, adding, “he rejected the result and instead that it was a fake result. He was deported and kicked out of a Ghana by the authorities and proceeds to New York in the the United States, where his test result on arrival came out negative.
“Worried that Nigerians traveling to Ghana or through Ghana lamented that they are made to pay almost one million naira while in isolation.
“Further worried that most of the Nigerians traveling to Ghana or through Ghana have alleged that the Ghanaian authorities have made them targets for the purpose of making money;
“Concerned that if this allegation is not properly investigated and addressed, the exploitation will continue, thereby unlawfully taking away the resources of Nigerians in this global economic recession; and
“Worried that if the allegation of people obtaining and using fake Covid-19 vaccination cards to travel is not debunked, it may have negative consequence for Nigerians with genuine Covid-19 vaccination cards from traveling outside the country.”
The lawmaker also prevailed on the upper chamber to investigate another allegation on the United Kingdom’s refusal to acknowledge the vaccination cards and tests results issued to travelers by facilities in Nigeria.
Accordingly, the upper chamber in its resolution directed its Committees on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), Primary Health and Communicable Diseases and Foreign Affairs to conduct detailed investigations on the two allegations of fake COVID-19 test result being used to defraud Nigerians in Ghana and obtainment or use of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards.
