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Top of the day to your Excellency , I
will ask that you permit me to indulge
in your progressiveness and desire for a
change in Nigeria as I express my
disappointment and anger on the
following issues.
I, Akinyemi Adeseye, a Nigerian national
currently residing in Ecuador would like
to use this medium to bring to your
notice the unfair and nonchalant
treatment that has been meted to
Nigerians living in this region by
sections of our ministry of foreign
affairs and the national immigration
service regarding the new e-passport
renewal.
As you Sir, must be fully aware, Nigeria
currently has no embassy or consulate in
Ecuador, but the Nigerian embassy in
Venezuela currently oversees diplomatic
activities in Ecuador and Colombia. The
Nigerian community in Ecuador has a
population of over 2,000.
Some of these nationals like me have
been trying to get a new e-passport for
the last four months all to no avail. I
have been contacting the Nigerian
embassy in Venezuela for over six months
now and all I have been told is to wait
and be patient as only the Nigerian
Consulate in New York, US currently
handles the entire issuing of
e-passports to all Nigerians living
within the Americas.
I was in shock when I first heard this.
The first thing that came to mind is:
How can a single consulate be
responsible for issuing e-passports to
Nigerian nationals dispersed over the 35
sovereign nations in the Americas?
How would this ever be effective?
Also, I was informed by the Nigerian
embassy in Venezuela that the consulate
in New York is currently facing problems
with the machine used for issuing the
passports, as there is only ONE machine
available and assigned to this region!
This is quite ridiculous, unfair and
barbaric! Why would any country treat
its citizens like this?
We have hundreds if not thousands of
Nigerians currently living on expired
passports they cannot renew. Some are
living in foreign countries without
visas, as they cannot renew their visas
on expired passports. Some are stranded
in these foreign lands and in my case I
have lost two job opportunities abroad
as I can not apply for a working visa on
my current passport which expires in a
couple of week and I will surely face
the problems of renewal like others
before me have also.
These traumatic and inhumane conditions
we are being subjected to by our country
are unheard off! And all this comes
after the previous “rip-off” by the
national immigration service on the fees
for the new e-passports in which they
created a disparity and discriminated
against a section of Nigerians. The cost
of the e-passport in Nigeria is 8,750
Naira, and at the rate of $1 to 152
Naira it equals $58.00. If you are
applying from abroad the cost is a
whopping $110.00, 16,600 Naira almost
double the fee charged in Nigeria.
Notwithstanding being charged this fee
we still cannot even get this needed
service! I, as a concerned and affected
Nigerian hereby humbly request you have
a critical look into this matter and
save us from this untold hardship.
On behalf of all affected Nigerians in
this region, I will like to further
request the following:
A couple of passport issuing machines
should be sent to all Nigerian embassies
and consulates within the Americas by
the 14th May 2010. And an extra passport
issuing machine should be sent to all
countries that are accredited with
Nigerian embassies or consulates within
the Americas by the 14th of May 2010. A
consulate team should be dispatched to
all major cities in countries without
Nigerian embassies in this region for a
minimum period of two months to attend
to the need of Nigerians living there,
starting from the 14th May 2010.These
would surely take the huge burden off
the shoulders of the consulate in New
York and of the single worn-out machine
and would also bring relief to thousands
of Nigerians living in this region and
in dire need of this service.
I humbly hope that you can find it in
your heart to come to the aid of
Nigerians both at home and in Diaspora.
Looking forward to a favourable response
and action from you sir.
Yours faithfully,
Yours faithfully,
Akinyemi Adeseye A.
Cuenca, Ecuador.
atikuatiku@gmail.com
+593 95478652
My first letter was written the 3rd of
May 2010, and till today 24 June 2010. I
have not received any response from
either your offices nor the Nigerian
embassy in Venezuela.
Although I would like to note that a
consular team was in Brazil a couple of
weeks ago to issue the new passports to
Nigerian citizens living in Brazil,
Paraguay and Bolivia. But no word on
when they would be coming toward our
zones.
My case in particular, my passport
expires on the 27th of July 2010 and
this is a huge concern for me as I have
to renew my visa. I would really like
your assistance on this.
Thanks!
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Opinion/Editorial/5563203-184/an_open_letter_to_acting_president.csp
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