A diplomatic row seems to be brewing
between Nigeria and the United Kingdom following a proposed policy by
the British Government requiring Nigerian travellers to the UK to
deposit £3,000 as bond in case they overstay their visa limits.
On Monday, the Federal Government
summoned the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Pocock,
over the development while the House of Representatives which flayed
the policy, argued that it could have negative impact on the
relationship between the two countries.
Nigeria, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ghana,
Pakistan and India are listed by the UK as countries whose citizens
are to deposit the £3,000 under the proposed policy that will take
off in November.
A Home Office official said the six countries highlighted were those with “the most significant risk of abuse.”
About 2.2million people are granted visas to enter Britain every year.
Last year, 296,000 people from India
were granted six-month visas, as were 101,000 from Nigeria; 53,000 from
Pakistan; and 14,000 apiece from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
According to media reports, the Home
Secretary Theresa May, said the administration of British Prime
Minister, David Cameron, is serious about cutting immigration and
abuses of the system.
The Sunday Times of London had
reported that every visitor aged 18 and above granted a six-month
visa would forfeit the £3,000 if they overstayed in Britain after the
expiration of their visa .
Initially, the scheme will target
hundreds of visitors, but the plan is to extend it to several
thousands, according to the broadsheet’s front-page report.
It was gathered that Pocock would
meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga
Ashiru, on Tuesday (today) to explain the policy.
A source close to the ministry, who
confirmed the meeting, said the government was seriously concerned
about the implication of the policy on the economy and image of the
country.
“Pocock is to explain to government if
the plan is true and why Nigeria is a target. Government is worried
about the highly discriminatory policy which tends to portray the
country in a bad light,” he explained.
Another source told one of our
correspondents that the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, Dr.
Dalhatu Tafida, was also billed to brief Ashiru on the development.
But Ashiru, at the 2013 Ministerial
Platform on the mid-term activities and achievements of the ministry in
Abuja on Monday, said he had not been contacted officially by the UK
authorities on the development.
He said, “We have not received any
official communication from the UK government. When we receive
communication, we will study the proposal. I can assure all Nigerians
that President Goodluck Jonathan’s government will defend the interest
of Nigerians by whatever means it can. When we get the proposal, we
will study it to see how it will affect ordinary Nigerians.”
In the House of Representatives,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ms. Nnena Elendu-Ukeje, stated
that the policy was a U-turn on a promise by the British Prime
Minister, David Cameron, to improve trade relations between the two
countries next year.
She said, “This policy will not foster
true relationship between Nigeria and the UK. It does not promote the
spirit of the Commonwealth either.
“The same British Government that promised improved trade relations with Nigeria is introducing such a discriminatory policy.
“It is a somersault, to say the least.”
However, Elendu-Ukeje observed that the policy appeared to be “a political issue.”
She explained, “The Conservative Party
wants to prove that they are serious about immigration matters. They
are doing this to win voters ahead of the next elections.”
But, she called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to register its protest before the take-off date of the policy.
“We have to take proactive measures to
oppose this policy and by way of reciprocity because next time they
will increase this bond of a thing”, she said.
The lawmaker recalled that in 2008, the British Government introduced £1,000 “fine” on travellers.
“They tried it first in 2008; today,
four years down the line, they are saying that it will be £3,000. What
will be the next figure if we don’t take proactive measures now?”
Elendu-Ukeje asked.
An expert in constitutional law, Prof.
Itse Sagay, also described the policy as “ hostile and therefore
contrary to international diplomacy.”
He said, “It is evidence of contempt
and a clear case of saying ‘we don’t want people from their country
and so let us make it impossible for them to come.
“How many people can pay N750,000 as
deposit which the British Government will keep and probably trade with
while the owner cannot touch it. I think we need to respond
appropriately by also raising impossible barrier to British people
coming into Nigeria so that at the end, we will see who will lose
more.
“I think they are making the mistake of
believing we need them more than they need us. In fact, it is they
who are making more out of Nigeria.
“They have a wrong idea of their importance to us. We are more important to them than they are to us.”
Meanwhile, Ashiru said at the
Ministerial Platform that Nigeria’s foreign policy in the 70s could
not be compared with the present.
He said, “The problem today is
unemployment. We have to use diplomacy to support job creation in
Nigeria so that we can develop our private sector to make it employ
more people.
“Our youths from universities cannot
get jobs. So foreign diplomacy must be used to create jobs and that is
what we have been doing.”
Justifying the budgets for generators
and fuel used by Nigerian High Commissions in countries with constant
power supply, Ashiru said the criticism “is the ignorance of the
highest order.”
“It is to power the boiler which in
most countries in Europe either uses fuel or gas. It is to heat and
power the foreign mission houses in winter and also to get hot water.”
According to him, the biggest challenge facing the ministry is the plight of Nigerians living abroad.
“All ambassadors now know that their
priority is to attend to the needs of Nigerians in their countries of
accreditation. No Ambassador today is allowed to close his doors on
Nigerians,” the minister said.
Ashiru warned Nigerians living abroad against drug trafficking, adding that it was tantamount to committing suicide.
“I must warn those who willfully
commit crime and thereby commit suicide. Drug trafficking in some
countries attracts death penalty. All the airports today have
sophisticated equipment; there is no where you hide the drug in your
body that you will not be caught.”
Ashiru also ruled out closing any
foreign mission house because, “when you close a mission, you lose a
friend. Nigeria cannot afford to lose a friend at this time”.
He promised that no Nigeria would be treated unjustly in foreign lands.
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Bring it on Britain, we are ready for you! But to think we will grant gay rights in Nigeria, you're damn wrong! I really do not even see your importance to us if not for educational purpose.
ReplyDeleteNigerians put your house in order first, then you can stand up to the rest of the world otherwise all this will just be noise.
ReplyDeleteThis matter can easily be solved by the Federal Government imposing thesame bond on British Nationals coming to Nigeria. Nothing personal...It is just business.
ReplyDeleteMAKE AN AMOUNT ENOUGH FOR NATIONAL BUDGET FOR ANY BRITISH IMMIGRANT
ReplyDeleteThis is a wake-up call for our government. We can be better than the British.
ReplyDeleteSure, the begining of "sanctions" against Nigeria for refusing to succumb to the evil blackmail of supporting the abominable practice of sodomy in our country by legislation. I don't think we need to worry so much. It is thier own British Airways, when they begin to feel the pinch of our collective boycott, that woulg lobby the despicable tory govt. of Cameron to end the madness!
ReplyDeleteThis is an eye opener to Nigerians who so much believed that UK is a must go. I urge Nigerian authorities to
ReplyDelete1. make ours 5000 pounds for any Briton coming to Nigeria.
2. ensure that the British govt pay interest on the said amount at the prevailing rate for any person who did not default at the point of pay back.
3. Ensure that no one is tricked to stay beyond his bound in order to eat his/her money.
4. Give adequate warning to all migrants prior to expiration of their permit.
As for me, ihave got nothing to do with UK. there are equally good schools in Canada, US and Asia as do Uk and anyone can hook to such. Afterall, UK is damned too broke for my liking. Thats even why they are trying o make money from us. they are equally angry that we refuse to approve of their intention to corrupt the whole world tru the mandate of Gay union tht they promise satan to implement in the whole world. White Fox my ass!
Naijaman, u are highly karid.... may ur days be long, well spoken my good friend
ReplyDeleteFirst 8 comments. Kudos for your patriotism. It would be great if we could really stand up for our country. And as Gbenga rightly said, we need to put our house in order first. I hope the FG stands its ground.
ReplyDeleteUK is a very poor ,shrewd, stingy and corrupt country . USA who grants pple free visas all over the world yearly cannot even think of sth like this . UK is a wretched country . which country of the world can boast of UK's help ? Who has UK ever helped ? Pple're suffering there especially pple from the countries they claim to be helping . Wretches !
ReplyDelete