https://whistletimes.com/2020/07/11/58-medical-doctors/

A few days ago, the Nigerian Immigration Service prevented about 58 medical doctors from boarding an aircraft to the United Kingdom. The privately chattered aircraft with registration number ENT 550 was already at the airport waiting to convey the doctors out of the country.

However, immigration officials were suspicious of their motive to leave the country at a time when Corona Virus was ravaging Nigeria. Whistle Times correspondent gathered that the rate of new infections in the country is still increasing and as at the time of this report, Nigeria has recorded over 30,000 cases. Lagos State particularly is the hardest hit. It was therefore shocking to many Nigerians when the doctors were caught trying to sneak out of the country without following due process.

After the incident, the Nigerian Immigration Service released a press statement saying:
“The 58 medical doctors were refused departure in line with Section 31 subsection 2a and b, on powers conferred on the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service by the Immigration Act 2015, to prohibit departure of any person under the conditions stated in the Act. They were refused departure as 56 out of the 58 had no visa for the United Kingdom. The Immigration service said:

“The chartered flight approved for landing in Nigeria was to carry 42 medical doctors for a training program but they were 58 with only two having visa for entry into UK, a situation that calls for refusal of departure”

“The Nigeria Immigration said, the service cannot allow persons groups of well-educated Nigerians who should know the procedures for travelling out of their country and the requirements, which include having a valid visa for entry into a destination country to leave.

Whistle Times reporter’s effort to speak to the affected doctors proved abortive. However, some doctors who spoke to Whistle Times said the medics may have been fleeing the country to the United Kingdom for the purpose of working in that country. Whistle Times investigation reveals a conspiracy theory around the aborted trip.

Investigation shows that an average Nigerian doctor do not earn much in the country. Therefore, it is almost impossible for the 58 medical doctors to have arranged a private jet from the United Kingdom with their paltry income in Nigeria.

Generally Nigeria, do not pay professionals adequately, except politicians. Earnings are generally low, no matter how many years you take to develop your skills and education. On the average a fresh Nigerian medical doctor earn about 150,000 to 200,000 Naira in many government hospitals. Those in private hospitals are not that luck, they work very hard and go home with about 100,000 plus or minus. The salaries are increased every year as they grow in their career, however, the increments are not usually so much.

Whistle Times investigation suspects that the trip may have been initiated by a job agency or other powerful bodies in the UK looking for medical doctors to help with the ongoing effort against the global pandemic. It is very likely that a special arrangement may have been made with the UK immigration authorities to allow the doctors entry into the UK without visa.

Under normal circumstance, many enlightened Nigerians know that you cannot gain entry to the UK without a visa. Hence, there must have been some sort of assurance to the doctors. The reason why the doctors had no visa might not be unconnected with the fact that UK embassy is not currently processing visa applications. It should be recalled that when the number of Corona Virus cases started increasing in Nigeria, many embassies and western nations evacuated their citizens from the country in a bid to protect them. It is for this reasons that the doctors did not have travel visas.

It is not immediately clear how the Nigerian authorities will react to the development. What is clear however is that many Nigerian doctors want to leave the country to places where they can be adequately compensated. It is also clear that there are many countries that would temporarily put their laws aside to allow brilliant Nigerian doctors into their countries.

And you guys were humbly rejected!

You're well served as well

Well, I guess if you "adequately compensate" doctors, they'd willingly work for you. After all, it's not as if free education got them their degrees!

How will a group of 52 doctors attempt to enter UK illegally on a chattered flight? Obviously, they attempted to Leave under certain arrangements, but naija just had to frustrate them to stay back!
Eat it, no, it's bone, spit it out, no, there's small meat there! Compensate Nigerian Doctors for working under harsh conditions, they refused. Let them go in search of greener pastures, they still blocked them. When they start venting their frustrations on innocent patients, they'll start opening eyes for doctors!

But why would they attempt to leave Nigeria without visa? I don't understand that part. Even an illiterate knows it doesn't work that way.

etrange:
But why would they attempt to leave Nigeria without visa? I don't understand that part. Even an illiterate knows it doesn't work that way.

They probably were going to plead for asylum.

Temporary setback for the doctors but definitely they will find thier way out of naija.