Visas: FG summons Canadian high commissioner over long passport holds

Posted by admin Africa & World Politics, Latest Politics Sunday, September 2nd, 2012

e Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru, has summoned the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Chris Cooter, to his office to register the government’s displeasure over the shabby treatment given to Nigerian visa applicants.

The summons was made public in a statement by the ministry’s spokesperson, Mr. Ogbole Ahmedu-Ode, in Abuja, on Friday.

According to the statement, Ashiru recalled the warm relations between the two countries, citing the example of the presence of a major Canadian company, Manitoba Hydro in Nigeria’s power sector.

The statement read in part, “It is against this background that the honourable minister expressed to the Canadian high commissioner his disappointment at the manner the Canadian Mission in Nigeria was maltreating Nigerian visa applicants, characterised by excessive delays in processing visa applications.

“The minister declared as unacceptable the waiting period of a minimum of 45 working days for Nigerian visa applicants to receive a response from the Canadian authorities.

“The minister concluded by suggesting to Ambassador Cooter that rather than his mission holding on to Nigerian visa applicants’ passports, the mission should make do with photocopies of the data pages and sight the passports.

“Thereafter, the passports can be surrendered to the mission only at the point of issuance of visas.

“This will allow passport holders the opportunity to use their passports for other travels, pending the approval of their visa application by the Canadian mission.”

In response, Cooter pledged to report the concerns expressed by the minister to the appropriate authorities in Ottawa.wp_posts