difficulty to send money to Sudan behind delay in evacuation- Nigerian Embassy
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has described as fake the commitment by the Federal government in evacuating students currently trapped in the crisis-ridden Sudan.
The Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, in a statement lamented that the students are forced to take their destinies into their own hands.
He claimed that some students even have to pay the bus drivers who transport them, despite the fact that the government failed to provide any explanation or justification for this.
Rafsanjani emphasized that it is the duty of the government under the constitution to ensure that citizens’ rights are upheld both within and outside the country.
While calling on the government to take advantage of the opportunity given by the Sudanese government to urgently evacuate the students, the CISLAC boss said if nothing is done to address this situation, Nigerian students might start dying.
He also called on state governors whose subjects are also trapped in Sudan to help to evacuate them immediately.
He further appealed to private individuals and private organisations to support the evacuation of students, lamenting that the government has failed in its responsibility to evacuate the children of the poor masses schooling in Sudan.
He said: “Other smaller countries have succeeded in evacuating their subjects in Sudan, if a country like Uganda can evacuate their citizens, what is our government waiting for?
“We believe that if their children are involved, they would have taken swift actions to evacuate them, but these are children from poor homes, that is why excuses are being given.
“We are worried that people are hungry and there is no concrete information from either the Embassy or the Committee in charge of the buses.
“People are sitting outside under high temperatures. The temperature is so high that people are thirsty. Nowhere to find water to drink or buy food to eat.
“We are worried that students are contributing the little they have to pay their transportation to neighbouring countries which is very risky and dangerous, because the government has made fake promises to provide transportation to evacuate them.
“This clearly shows that the Nigerian leaders appear not to care about their citizens and their safety.
“We call on the presidency and the national assembly to take necessary step by liaising with African Union and other international bodies to ensure amicable resolution of the Sudan crisis.”
Meanwhile, the officials of Embassy of Nigeria in Sudan has explained the beginning of the evacuation that they have only received $400.000 as advance for 40 buses.
“This made the transport company to supply 13 buses about equivalent of the advance paid, while the company is expecting the balance to be paid to supply the remaining vehicles. The federal government is making arrangements to pay the balance but due to the inherent difficulties of getting money into khartoum arrangements are being made to send the money to Egypt and the company to collect it in Egypt.
“The embassy is appealing to all Nigerian citizens to remain calm and wait for the federal government to conclude this arrangement.”