Sudan crisis: outcry over $1.2 million for bus hire to evacuate stranded Nigerians uncalled for

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The federal government has said the outcry over $1.2 million for the hiring of buses to evacuate stranded Nigerians in Sudan was uncalled for.

This was contained in a joint statement signed by the permanent secretaries, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development on Saturday.

They noted that the amount was negotiated under conditions of war and competing demands.

The statement, however, disclosed that the first batch of Nigerian evacuees who have arrived in Aswan, Egypt, will be airlifted to Nigeria soon by the Nigerian Air Force and Air Peace airline, who have been on standby for the operations.

“The first batch of 13 buses conveying six hundred and thirty seven [637] evacuees had arrived the identified safe borders at Aswan, Egypt, and are undergoing necessary documentation and clearance before admission into the Egyptian territory for their eventual evacuation to Nigeria.

“The movement of the second batch of 29 buses will commence on Saturday, 29th April, 2023. The evacuees are advised to be at the designated locations with only one luggage. Contrary to insinuations on the social media, Embassy staff are very much on ground in Khartoum to coordinate the evacuation exercise to the very end.

“The students and other Nigerians awaiting evacuation from Khartoum, Sudan, are therefore, advised to cooperate with them in order to ensure orderliness and proper documentation while embarking on the buses. This will go a long way in speeding up the process and avoiding unnecessary delays with documentation and clearance upon arrival at the Aswan, Egypt, the statement said.

While empathising with affected Nigerians, the government urged the citizens to maintain the law and order amidst the desperation.

“It is crucial to getting all interested Nigerians out of the war zone in record time before the expiration of the ceasefire, which has been extended by 72 hours”

“The general public is also advised to discountenance unverified information being circulated on the social media, as some of them are either due to ignorance or sheer mischief. The outcry over the negotiated sum of $1.2 million for the buses hired for the exercise, is uncalled for.

“The amount in question, was negotiated in a condition of war and where there are competing demands for same bus services by other countries also trying to evacuate their citizens. Therefore, the cooperation and understanding of all and sundry is required to complement ongoing efforts aimed at ensuring the safe return of every Nigerian trapped in Sudan.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria seizes this opportunity to extend appreciation to friendly countries who have in one way or the other assisted in bringing succour to Nigerians fleeing the war in Sudan. Particularly, Nigeria acknowledges the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for graciously assisting with the evacuation of eight Nigerians from Sudan to safety in its territory, from where they would be airlifted back to Nigeria,” the statement said.