NIPSS kicks, advises Nigerians to shun Dubai over visa ban

Director General of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Prof. Ayo Omotayo, has faulted the visa ban by United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Nigerians seeking to visit Dubai, calling on patriots to call off the bluff by shunning the city.

He gave the charge, yesterday, while delivering his goodwill message during a leadership and management retreat for the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment held at NIPPS, Kuru, Plateau State.

Omotayo said Nigeria should not allow itself to be boxed into a corner, adding that as people with self-pride, there was need for self-restriction.

“I have been to Dubai several times. I don’t see any big deal going to Dubai. As Nigerians that have self-pride, we should ban ourselves from going to Dubai. Is it the hotel or sea that is not in anywhere in the world?

“We have what it takes to be better than Dubai. The Emirates did not make the place themselves, it is a combination of people from all walks of life that made Dubai. We should give ourselves self-ban, we have nothing to lose,” he advised.

The NIPSS boss, who acknowledged that the most populous black nation is in an era of disruptive leadership, charged Nigerians, specially the elite, to change their perceptions and approaches to issues affecting the country.

Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Daju Kachollom Shangti, decried the gap in knowledge and awareness about administrative procedures, ongoing civil service reforms, strategic thinking and government policies, especially on the need to have relevant data to achieve National Development Plan 2021-2025.