Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of Interior, speaking at a news
conference in Abuja, said Nigeria could not be offering visas on a platter to
nationals of some countries coming to the country to make money. Yet, such
countries would not reciprocate the gesture to Nigeria’s travelling public who
go to such countries to spend their money.
The minister informed that a committee has been set up, and
headed by Oluwatoyin Akinlade, permanent secretary in the ministry, to come up
with a report on how best to implement the strategy.
“Nigeria is not a thrash; we cannot be treated as such. Visa
is based on reciprocity anywhere in the world, and that is why we are seriously
looking at our visa-on-arrival policy. There is no point allowing someone to
enjoy that when he gets to Nigeria, and we don’t enjoy that when we go there”,
the minister said.
“The committee has about two weeks to submit its report.
Once we enforce this principle of reciprocity, people will call us to talk to
because most of these people who come to Nigeria come to make money and yet we
go to their own countries to spend money. Yet, they make it difficult for
Nigerians. We are working with the Ministry of foreign affairs on this”, he
added.
As part of his passport reforms, the minister has engaged
service providers of the ministry to establish more Passport Front Offices
according to earlier contractual agreements.
“Somebody cannot leave in Akoko, and he needs to travel to
Akure just for the sake of biometrics. The cost of travelling, the risk of life
and the inconveniences. These are the issues we are trying to tackle.
“So, the passport front offices and our foreign missions,
people travel from an extreme part of Canada with their young children and the
elderly and must fly or travel by road to our mission to get passports. So,
from next year, we will activate the passport front offices. We are giving our
service providers a standing instruction. That you have a contract does not
mean you will hold Nigerians down.
“So, we are giving them three months to activate their
contracts, after which we will revoke the contracts if they do not deliver to
Nigerians. They should put their houses in order and give Nigerians a sweet
experience. We are friends to the extent that you defend the nation’s interest.
We have told them that”, he said.
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