Some Nigerian travellers to Accra told The Guardian that
they were recently subjected to inhuman treatment at the Kotoka International
Airport, Accra, over yellow fever vaccination.
The Guardian learnt that all the yellow fever cards from
Nigeria were presumed fake and international passports of such Nigerians seized
and the Ghanaian immigration officials insisting that the affected persons get
Ghana’s yellow fever cards at the cost of N2,000 before their documents
could be released to them.
According to one of the affected Nigerians, “on June 29,
2012, there were two last flights by Aero and Arik that landed almost
simultaneously at about 6.10 p.m. Nigerian time. Immediately, the health
officials mounted an unconventional roadblock on the way to the immigration
points. Every vaccination card issued in Nigeria was presumed fake. We were all
asked to move to a side after all our international passports have been seized.
“New vaccination cards were issued to us after injecting us
with the vaccine and a fee of N2, 000 charged for that which was paid in
Nigerian currency. Charging for this in naira is curious. A pregnant woman was
issued only with a card when she told them she is pregnant but after parting
with N2, 000,” he added.
He said attention was not paid to new international arrivals
consisting of whites and blacks on board, stressing that on inquiry, “the
health officials claimed ignorance of such arrivals, disclosing that they were
only after Nigerians.
“We were held for hours that day. To confirm extortion of
money from Nigerians, why should they collect money from a pregnant woman who
was not jabbed an injection? Why should we be paying in Naira and why should
every yellow fever card issued in Nigeria be presumed fake? Do the health
officials of foreign countries have the powers to seize the passports of
travellers/visitors to their countries? he queried.
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