A retired army officer, Barrister Ene Okon, has petitioned the Director of Port Health Services, Federal Ministry of Health, demanding the immediate release of his international passport no, A12037249, which he claimed was being kept in the custody of the organisation since October 7, 2021.
The letter which served as a pre-action notice on the organisation, was written through his lawyer, Barr. Abayomi Lucas, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state on Thursday.
According to the letter, the lawyer said his client complied with all the protocols as demanded by the organisation, during his medical trip to South Africa, following a wound he sustained in the ECOMOG operations in Sierra Leone.
Okon has been battling with the wound after over 20 years of the incident, and over 10 years of leaving the Army.
The lawyer expressed disappointment that despite the compliance including the mandatory COVID-19 tests which all proved negative, he was still treated with disrespect and disdain by the officers of the organisation and his international passport held for no cogent reason, more than six months ago.
The petition partly read,”Please note further that the actions or inactions of your officials have infringed on our client’s constitutional right to own a passport as a Nigerian and also, his fundamental right to freedom of movement has been greatly impaired.
“He has been unable to travel for his scheduled medical trip abroad with his wife as well and thus he and his wife are currently in potent risks of health challenge(s). In this wise, our client has been made to suffer avoidable injury and irreparable damage”.
In the letter which was copied to the Minister of Heath, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and NCDC, the lawyer demanded for the release of his clients passport within seven days on receipt of the letter, adding that failure to release it within the stipulated period may lead to alternative instructions on the matter.
However, efforts to speak with the authorities of the Port Health were not successful as their numbers were not accessible as at the time of filing the report.
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