Nigeria Plans Retaliation as BritainMulls £3,000 visa Bond South Africa recently planned a tit for tat measure against UK’s plan to increase visa fees, now its Nigeria turn to fight back as UK announces new visa plans. According to Zacheaus Somorin of Thisday Newspapers theChairman, House of Representative Committee on Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has said that Britons coming to Nigeriashould deposit N5million (about $35, 000)before entry. In a press statement made available to THISDAY yesterday, the lawmaker pointed out that “Nigeria should adopt the principle of reciprocity” in responseto UK government’s plan asking Nigerians to deposit £3,000 before visiting UK. She said: “if they tell us to pay, we should alsotell them to pay, in fact Britons coming to Nigeria should pay N5million deposite if they want to come to Nigeria asking “what is the use of being a part of the commonwealth?” In another report in the Punch Newspapers titled £3,000 visa bond: FG summons British High Commissioner by John Ameh and Kamarudeen Ogundele, 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. 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 wantsto 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 beforethe 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 ownercannot 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 candevelop 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 whichin most countries in Europe either uses fuel orgas. It is to heat and power the foreign mission houses in winter and also to get hot water.” According to him, the biggest challenge facingthe ministry is the plight of Nigerians living abroad. “All ambassadors now know that their priorityis 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 youwill 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. We Will Retaliate, FG Warns British Government. By Kamarudeen Ogundele and Oluwole Josiah There were indications on Tuesday that the Federal Government would opt for a retaliatory measure if the United Kingdom went ahead to implement its proposed £3,000 visa bond. Nigeria was said to have made this known during a private meeting between Foreign Affairs Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, and British High Commissioner, Andrew Pocock, in Abuja. The PUNCHhad reported exclusively on Tuesday that the Federal Government summoned Pocock over the policy which it said was capable of harming the existing cordial relationship between the two countries. Nigeria is one of the six countries whose nationals would be required to pay the £3,000 bond under a proposed policy that will take effect in November. The others are India, Bangledish, Ghana, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It was gathered that Pocock admitted at the meeting with Ashiru that the UK planned to introduce the “financial bond as a way of tackling abuse in the immigration system”, but added, “No final decision has been made.” Ashiru, who was said to have recalled the days when nationals of Commonwealth travelled freely to the UK and other memberstates, expressed displeasure over the policy which he described as not only “discriminatory but capable of undermining the spirit of the Commonwealth family.” A source privy to the meeting said, “The minister conveyed the reservations of the Federal Government to Pocock, who said the policy was still a proposal. The minister reminded him of British investments in Nigeria and vice-versa. “He asked him to think about the implications a retaliatory measure would have on the two countries. The minister stressed that Nigeria might also impose £3,000 visa bond on British nationals coming into the country too.” After the meeting, the ministry issued a statement in which it recalled “the strong historical bonds between the peoples of the various countries who were all regarded at that time as Commonwealth citizens.” It further “recalled that this time-honoured practice was unilaterally jettisoned by the UK in 1985, thereby weakening the bonds of the Commonwealth family.” According to the statement by the spokesperson for the ministry, Ogbole Ode, Ashiru told the British envoy “that the proposed policy would definitely negate the joint commitment by Prime Minister David Cameron and President Goodluck Jonathan to double the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries by 2014.” It added, “Ambassador Ashiru pointed out that the decision of the UK government is coming at the time the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers have unanimously recommended for adoption at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November 2013, a proposal to remove visa requirements for holders of official and diplomatic passports from memberstates.” Ashiru, who appealed to the UK to reconsiderthe proposed policy, noted “that the Federal Government has a responsibility to take appropriate measures to protect the interests of Nigerians, who may be affected by it (policy), if finally introduced. “The minister informed the British High Commissioner that the Federal Government values the very cordial relations and strategic partnership between the two countries and would not want the introduction of any new policy to affect these cherished relations,” the statement added. In its own statement, the British High Commission reiterated that details of the policy were still being worked out. “No final decision has been made,” the Head of Press and Public Affairs Section, Rob Fitzpatrick said. The commission said, “if the plan were to go ahead in Nigeria, it would affect only a very small number of the highest risk visitors.” The statement added, “The vast majority would not be required to pay a bond. Those paying bonds would receive the bond back, if they abided by the terms of their visa. “Let me put this in perspective. Over 180,000Nigerians apply to visit the UK each year. About 70 per cent or around 125,000, of those applicants are successful. Travel between our two countries is a key part of ourstrong cultural and business relationship. Financial bonds would be focussed on only a tiny minority of potential abusers. It would not be a “£3,000 visa charge” as some media reporting has alleged. “As soon as more details of the policy have been decided, we will inform the Nigerian government and public fully and officially, in the spirit of our long standing friendship, and our wish to help bona fide Nigerian visitors to work, study or do business in the UK.” Also in Abuja, the Senate raised its voice against the proposed visa policy and warned that Nigeria would have to adopt the principle of reciprocity if the UK went ahead to implement it. Leader of the Senate, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, said, “ I will like to say immediately that diplomacy is based on reciprocity and it isnot an option that is lost on us. When we had misunderstanding with South Africa, Nigeria rose to the occasion. We will always rise to the occasion;but I think the way out is for Nigerians to have more faith in their country.” Senator Ita Enang, who is the Chairman Committee on Rules and Business and his counterparts in the Petroleum (Downstream) and Navy committees, also said the policy would greatly hurt relations between Nigeria and Britain. Anyanwu, for instance, advised the UK authorities to be considerate in their anti-terrorism policies in order not to hurt theties between Nigeria and Britain. She said, “I know it is a way of expressing their own frustration with the involvement of some Nigerians in negative things.This is whatI think, but it is going to be a very offending policy; it is surprising that it is coming from Britain because we have a special historical link with them. “I think that what Britain ought to do is to encourage us and fully accept Nigeria as part of its history and not to extend such a mild form of hostility towards us. We will have to respond in ways that are loud and clear. We have to tell them that enough is enough.” Meanwhile, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, has said he had contacted some human rights lawyers in the UK to challenge the proposed policy when passed by the British parliament. “We will challenge the British government under their own Human Rights Act and European Human Rights convention. The law does not allow the UK to target the nationals of any particular country for extortion. The Federal Government must also be prepared toretaliate in like manner if the policy is allowed by the British government,’’ Falana said.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 19:39:13 +0000
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