Federal lawmakers have raised the alarm that fake COVID-19 test results are being used to defraud Nigerians in Ghana.
Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara) raised the alarm in a motion co-sponsored by Senators Sadiq Umar (APC, Kwara), Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rivers) and Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu).
While presenting the motion, Oloriegbe noted that there was a serious allegation that Nigerians who tested negative in the country were diagnosed with COVID in Ghana.
He further said the Ghanaian authorities usually commit Nigerians who visit the country to isolation for two weeks and are made to pay about N70,000 per day.
According to the lawmaker, Nigerians travelling to Ghana or through Ghana lamented that they were made to pay almost N1 million while in isolation.
He said if the allegation was not properly investigated and addressed, the exploitation would continue, thereby unlawfully taking away the resources of Nigerians amid global economic recession.
Oloriegbe also noted that “there is 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.”
He expressed worry 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 travelling outside the country.”
The Senate, accordingly, directed its committees on Health (Secondary & 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 the process of obtaining fake COVID-19 vaccinations cards.
