The
Federal Government on Tuesday insisted on retaliatory action against British
citizens if their government went ahead with its plan to impose
a £3, 000 visa bond on visitors from Nigeria and five other Commonwealth
countries.
It
expressed displeasure that Downing Street, which had already set November
as the discriminatory policy’s commencement time, had not deemed it neccessary
to formally communicate to it on the next step of action.
The
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, had at a meeting with
the British High Commissioner, Andrew Pocock, conveyed the desire of Nigeria to
retaliate the policy.
The
spokesperson for the ministry, Ogbole Ode, said in a statement in Abuja,
that the British authorities were already aware of the Federal
Government’s position on the matter.
The
statement reads, “Media reports in Nigeria on Monday, July 29, 2013, indicated
that the United Kingdom Government will begin to implement from November,
2013, the £3,000 cash bond for first-time visa applicants from
Nigeria, and five other Commonwealth countries. The other countries are India,
Kenya, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. These media reports themselves were
quoting the Financial Times of London.
“The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to receive any official communication on
the final decision of the UK government on this matter. The Federal Government
has already conveyed its objection to the bond payment to the UK government.
This was done when the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Ambassador Ashiru, summoned the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr.
Andrew Pocock, to the Tafawa Balewa House, on June 25, 2013.
“If
and when a communication to that effect is received, the Federal
Government will take appropriate steps to reflect its national interest.”
When
contacted, the spokesman for the British High Commission in Abuja, Rob
Fitzpatrick, said, “No final decision has been made” on the controversial
policy.
He
said, “As British Prime Minister David Cameron has said, we want the
brightest and the best to help create the jobs and growth that will enable
Britain to compete in the global race. So, for example, if you are an overseas
businessman seeking to invest and trade with world class businesses, one of the
thousands of legitimate students keen to study at our first-class universities
or a tourist visiting our world class attractions, be in no doubt: Britain is
open for business.”
It
will be recalled that Ashiru, at the meeting with Pocock, warned that the
government would retaliate the discriminatory policy.
On
Monday the British government defended a campaign advising
illegal immigrants to “go home or face arrest.”
Two
trucks, each displaying a large poster with a number for migrants to
send text messages if they desired to return to their countries,
were seen in six London boroughs for a week.
It
was learnt that posters, leaflets and advertisements in newspapers would run
for a month to further promote the campaign, a pilot scheme by the interior
ministry.
A
member of the Liberal Democrat Party, the junior partner in the coalition
government with the Conservative Party and Business Secretary, Vince
Cable, called the campaign “stupid and offensive.”
The
opposition Labour Party’s home affairs spokeswoman, Yvette Cooper, also
said the scheme was “ludicrous.”
But Prime
Minister David Cameron’s spokesman defended the campaign, saying
it was clear that it was “already working” as some illegal
immigrants had voluntarily agreed to leave the UK.
Source: Punch
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