“Nigerians are not allowed to start businesses in India even though Indians run restaurants and shops all over Nigeria”.It is the same story in many other countries...Our former and darling colonial master is looking for a stringent way to “do away” with Nigerians with their $4, 630 Visa Bond even though Nigerians’ cash run their economy and banks! They know Nigerians have no other option; after all their country is a wreck and almost unlivable. Since they cannot govern themselves and develop a structured environment, they will always run to the colonial masters’ land anyway to enjoy a conducive environment.
Last month, when Britain first started the Visa Bond public sensitization campaign, Nigeria’s dreary Ministry of Foreign Affairs/High Commission London only made reactionary comments without any strategic plan. As usual, they have no plans and no policy for anything except when it comes to “sharing the allocated fund”.In the typical huff and puff fashion, they spectacularly “summon” foreign diplomats without any meaningful outcome. One would have thought that the British Government would show some diplomatic respect to Nigeria when Ambassador Ashiru Summoned the British High Commissioner to his office on Tuesday June 25th, 2013 over the Visa Bond policy. Obviously that is not the case. Unlike Nigeria, Britain already had a strategic diplomatic policy plan to serve their interest. Why would they be deterred by the Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs?The British know Nigerians like the palm of their hands. They Know Nigerians and their government will emotionally howl, gyrate and call fire from heaven regarding the Visa bond. But in just some few seconds later, the same Nigerians will sleep outside their embassy begging to pay twice the 3,000 pounds Visa Bond to secure a visa. An American once said “Nigerians are drive-by participators”. They shout for one day and go home to sleep. They do not stand for anything and follow through until the end.After Nigerians have paid this ungodly “blaxploited Visa Bond”, the same country will fumigate them like insects when they fly into UK. Nigerian "big men" will pay 10,000 pounds to fly first class in their airline and be smiling with inferiority complex while they also fumigate them in their first class cabin. How else would you define a conquered people?Many Nigerians have indicated that maybe this is a good experience for Nigeria. Just maybe it will make Nigerians for once think on how they can govern ourselves with the interest of their country at heart and develop their country for the good of their children and subsequent generation.The foreign missions that have been set up to protect Nigeria’s national interest are not working. They have become more or less ATM centers for few to amass wealth and siphon fund allocated to the missions. Shamefully, a Nigerian in India said you can hardly see any Nigerian official to talk to at the Nigeria’s India foreign mission office.Early this year, I brought to the attention of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs some issues with their website – broken links, missing pertinent information and the amateurish nature of the site for a country like Nigeria. The Foreign Affairs Ministry responded that my concerns were very valid and that the issues will be addressed immediately. More than six months later, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no website.The site has been under construction since. What kind of affairs is the ministry running or maybe they are building a Tower of Babel information super highway site for the entire nations of the world? http://www.foreingaffairs.etherglobalnetworks.com/Since Nigerians home and abroad currently do not have any way of knowing what and whose affairs the ministry is running, maybe we should start calling it the “Ministry of No Affairs”?Nigerians are tired of this inept ways of running the country and her institutions. Can’t we do better? Can’t we command respect among the nations of the world? Even our African brothers are now imposing all manner of restrictions on Nigeria.The 3,000 pound UK Visa Bond is a test of what stuff Nigeria is made up off. The world is watching if the Nigerian Government will be able to protect the Nigerian people. Or, as expected by many, sell out Nigerians as slaves to foreign countries.This is a call to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to spring into action and take the necessary steps to protect the interest of Nigeria.From India to UK, Nigeria’s foreign missions should get assertive to ensure that going forward Nigeria is not always on the losing end of any bilateral relationship. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should deliver to the Nigerian people. May God bless Nigerians and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Blog – www.diasporascope.com– By Paul Omoruyi
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