The Federal Government has urged the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia not to further delay the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Exchange of Sentenced Persons between both countries.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, stated the country?s position at a meeting with the Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria, Legesse Geremew Haile, in her office at Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja.

This is as the minister expressed the Federal Government?s displeasure over the spate of embarrassment and harassment suffered by Nigerians including those with Official and Diplomatic Passports in Addis Ababa.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu reminded the Ethiopian Ambassador that the Nigeria side had concluded with reflection of the Ethiopian observations in the draft MOU on Exchange of Sentenced Persons between both countries and wondered why signing of the MOU was being delayed despite assurances at their meeting of March 6, 2025.

The minister highlighted with deep concern the plight of Nigerian inmates in Ethiopia who she said were not having access to medical care among other challenges. She also noted the overwhelming challenges this posed to the Ethiopian Government.

She expressed dismay that a Nigerian recently died in Ethiopian prison, and declared that as a government deeply committed to citizen diplomacy, the federal government would not want a repeat of such ugly incident.

?Our people don?t want to hear that another Nigerian inmate died in Ethiopian prison,? the minister said.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu further decried the continued delay in returning monies seized from Nigerian businessmen by the Ethiopian Government even after the country?s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, had at the 40th Session of the Executive Council of the African Union held in February 2022, granted amnesty to all African travellers whose monies were seized at the Bole International Airport, due to non-declaration of the amount over and above three thousand US Dollars, as provided by then Ethiopian law.

She regretted that of the 25 Nigerians whose monies were seized as at the time, only 15 had been approved for refund, due to the stringent condition put by the Ethiopian side for the refunds. Even at that, only two persons had actually been refunded their seized money.

The minister cited the pathetic case of one Mr. Francis Chukwuma Uzoh whose US$70,000 was seized by the Ethiopian authorities. She bemoaned that despite meeting all the conditions, Francis was yet to be refunded since 2022.

Consequently, Mr. Francis has become desolate, homeless, abandoned by family, hugely indebted and a shadow of his former self.

The minister, therefore, urged the Ethiopian envoy to press for a last chance for the Ethiopian Government to refund Mr. Francis his $70,000 while he is still alive, ?so they don?t use the money to bury him when he has gone.?

Additionally, the minister noted that visa waiver for holders of Official and Diplomatic Passports was tied to the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) signed by the two countries.

Following what Nigerians faced at Addis Ababa, Odumegwu-Ojukwu accused Ethiopia of unilaterally withdrawing from the MoU without notifying Nigeria.

According to her, it is of great concern because Addis is a hub and many Nigerians have adopted Ethiopian Airline as the airline of choice.

Regardless, the minister reiterated Nigeria?s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Ethiopia, assuring that the 4th Session of Nigeria-Ethiopia Joint Commission would soon hold in Abuja.

Responding, the Ethiopian Ambassador, said that the visa waiver agreement was still in place but needed ratification by the country?s House of Representatives.

That notwithstanding, Amb. Haile said that the Embassy had issued visas to Nigerians with official and diplomatic passports, pointing out that the problem is actually when the applicant is with the regular passport.

?The visa on arrival has neither been withdrawn nor abrogated,? he said, stressing, ?We are very close to Nigeria. The Ethiopian Government views the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a very strategic partner.?

He also thanked the Nigerian Government for the additional seven slots recently approved for the Ethiopian Airline on the Lagos route.

?PHOTO: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, welcoming Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria, Legesse Geremew Haile, to her office at Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja.

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