…Says FG handling the issue
The Nigerian government on Monday summoned the Libyan chargé d’affaires, in Abuja to register the country’s displeasure over the treatment of the national team, the Super Eagles by Libyan authorities
Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs disclosed this to State House Journalists after meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday
Tuggar, while explaining the genesis of the matter recalled that the Nigeria team was probably being punished for the difficulties encountered by the Libyan team when they visited Nigeria for the first leg encounter with the Super Eagles at the ongoing AFCON qualifiers held weekend.
He disclosed that the Libyan team had landed in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, instead of Uyo, in Akwa Ibom State where the football match took place.
He however assured that the federal government has been in touch with both the Libyan authorities and the handlers of the Super Eagles, especially the Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)
Tuggar who described the players’ experience as “most unfortunate”, said the government has summoned the Libyan chargé d’affaires, over the matter.
” The Super Eagles flew to Libya to play a match. As you know, when the Libyan team was here, they were supposed to land in Uyo instead, they went and landed in Port Harcourt, where they were not supposed to land.
” Now, our team has gone to Libya, and somehow the plane gets diverted to a different airport. And unfortunately, at that airport, there is no aviation fuel, because what we have decided is they need to refuel and get out, we will not be able to allow them to continue without food.
Read also: Netizens react to Super Eagles’ airport ordeal in Libya
” You know, it’s a good thing that when they landed in Kano they actually even got some water, some cartons of water otherwise even water would have been a problem. But it suffices it to say that we have established contact with them. We’ve sent people from the mission to go there. They are in touch with the delegation.
” Now I am also communicating directly with the chairman, and since last night, we’ve been on the phone with the chargé d’affaires because Libyan doesn’t have an ambassador here, so we’re in touch with the chargé d’affaires,
” I am heading back to the ministry now, where we have summoned the chargé d’affaires, the Libyan chargé d’affaires. This issue has to be resolved as quickly as possible. So we’re on top of the situation.”
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