Americans, Nigerians’ interests threatened, says ex-envoy, CampbellOyetunji Abioye, Gbenga Adeniji, Femi Makinde and Tunde Ajaja The committee set up by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari
, to look into issues surrounding the recent suspension of United States’ immigrant visa issuance to Nigerians has begun talks with the American government officials over the matter,Buhari had named the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, as the head of the committee, raised to liaise with the US government on the matter.
He said the sanction by the US was for an ‘offence’ committed in 2017, adding that things had greatly improved and Nigeria would soon be delisted by the US. “The consular also advised that there should be proper, official and effective communication. The US said it was not enough for us to deploy MIDAS but we should communicate officially to them.”
“Most of the issues raised by the US had been addressed but you know most Nigerians won’t act until we are sanctioned. The visa restriction for immigrant is a punishment for 2017 offence. “The visa ban is more about denting Nigeria’s image than the actual damage. The problem of visa ban by the US was caused by the absence of proper communication and meeting deadline. It was not because we didn’t do what we were supposed to do.“But this ban is about politics more than anything. The US will not say that and our government will not also say it. But all of them know that it is about using it to boost the rating of Donald Trump ahead of the election.
“We need an efficient public service; we need effectiveness. Not providing efficiency, effectiveness and accountability in public service is an act of corruption. Mr Buhari who is fighting corruption should begin the fight with his officials. “The second thing is that the US is accusing the government of Nigeria of not cooperating with it at the level of information sharing. The grouse of the US is at those two levels. The US believes that there are many terrorists in Nigeria and they do not want to give visa to any terrorist.
Campbell said, “I think the Trump administration’s action positively damages American interests as well as Nigerian. We need more interchange with the Giant of Africa – not less. The issue is already entering political discourse – the further travel restrictions have been denounced by the leading Democratic candidates.”Meanwhile, a survey has revealed that 45 per cent of Nigeria’s adults plan to relocate to the US and Europe within the next five years.
While 24 and 19 percentage of adults in Tunisia and Kenya respectively want to leave their countries in five years, Nigeria had 45 per cent of such population. Other countries surveyed in the report were the Philippines, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Mexico.
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