Why Not Take Your Wife To Nigeria, Instead Of Polluting Our Country?
By Segun Akinyode Published 05/28/2007 Life Abroad Rating: Unrated
Segun Akinyode

Segun, a three-pronged oscillator, moves from his bedsitter to the office, then a cool spot. He lives near Mr Obasanjo's Abeokuta home.

View all articles by Segun Akinyode What are you doing in Kenya?
I got to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the morning of December, 30, 2006 having left Murtala Mohammed International Airport the previous night. I was on a leave of absence from my teaching appointment at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta. I got a pleasant thrill from the cold Nairobi weather, something I had experienced on my previous visit and prepared for.



My wife was at the airport to take me home. Meanwhile, I was issued a three month visiting visa at the Kenyan Embassy in Lagos which made it impossible for me to purchase a returning ticket commensurable to the one year leave of absence I was granted by the polytechnic authorities. What the personnel at the travel agency I was unfortunate to buy my flight ticket from assured me was that I could extend my visa at the immigration office in Nairobi, and my flight ticket at Kenya Airways office in Nairobi. In consonance with their assurance, I went to the immigration department three days to the expiration of my three-month visa to request for an extension.



Thus early in the morning of March 25, 2007, I arrived the department of alien immigration in Nairobi (the building is called Nyayo House) and queued with other immigrants with similar request. I can recollect vividly that I stood behind four other immigrants—two Asians, one Canadian and one American. The clerk behind the counter swiftly dealt with the three aliens—she examined their passports and asked them to fill forms and pay certain amount of money, their fingerprints taken, after which their passports were returned to them, they were instructed to come back in three weeks for their alien cards. The whole process did not take more than thirty minutes.



When it was my turn, the lady collected my passport, took one bewildered look at it and asked me to report to one Mr. Wanda on the seventh floor. I stood on the spot for seconds frowning. After a while, I shrugged and went to the lift. Mr. Wanda was not in the office; I waited at his door. About an hour later, an immigration officer asked for my mission I told him I was waiting for Mr. Wanda. He advised me to come back the following day as he was not sure Mr. Wanda would be coming to the office that day.



I was there the following day. Mr. Wanda was yet to arrive. I was chatting with one of the junior officers at the counter when a woman who later turned out to be a senior immigration officer arrived and asked my mission. I told her I was waiting for Mr Wanda. She informed me pointedly that Mr. Wanda would not be reporting for work that day. She demanded my specific mission. I told her that I wanted my visa extended and the lady behind the counter at the ground floor asked me to see Mr. Wanda. She frowned, thrust his palm forward, ‘Let me see your passport.’ I gave it to her. A mild exclamation. The following conversation ensued:



‘What are you doing in Kenya?’



‘I am on a leave of absence which I am spending with my wife.’



‘You are married to a Kenyan?’



I nodded.



She looked at me pointedly and said there was no way I could be allowed to stay more than the three months I had spent. She advised me to go and buy my flight ticket; she would allow me to spend one more week in Nairobi.



‘But I am here with my wife.’ I shouted.



‘It does not matter. Why not take your wife to Nigeria instead of polluting our country.’



I was flummoxed. ‘Polluting your country?’ I retorted.

She ignored me and said, ‘The best you can expect apart from what I suggested is to wait for Mr. Wanda; he will be in the office tomorrow morning.’



‘Okay.’ I said, collected my passport and sauntered out of her cubicle of an office, reflecting.



By nine the following morning, I was at Mr. Wanda’s office. He was available. I met him writing a memo. Curiosity, that proverbial instinct that killed the cat took control of me. I stretched my long neck and peeped at what Mr. Wanda was writing and caught a hazy picture of his designation: he was a principal assistant controller of immigration or something similar to that. My curiosity heightened: why am I referred to such a top-notch for a simple immigration matter, something a common clerk handles for other nationals?



‘Can I be of any assistance?’ The question cut through my thoughts. I managed a smile to camouflage my bafflement. I stammered a response, ‘I was asked to come and see you. I need to extend my visa.’



‘Let me see your passport.’



I handed the document over. He collected it, looked at the cover and sighed, ‘Nigerian.’

After he had read the visa pages he asked me what I have been doing in Kenya in the last three months. I told him that I had been visiting my wife.



‘Just that?’ he frowned.



‘Visiting my wife who I had left in the last two years is not enough reason?’



‘If you were a Kenyan and your wife, a Nigerian, it would have been okay but the way it is, now…Kenyan immigration laws do not recognize your kind of union.’



Thoroughly perplexed, I appraised Mr. Wanda curiously. ‘I am also researching a story I am writing about Nigeria and Kenya.’



He looked at me sharply. His countenance relaxing into a pleasant grin, ‘What do the two countries have in common?’



I brightened up and regaled him with a bit of my findings. He looked at me nonplussed and nodded. ‘I agree with some of your comparisons’ he said as he extracted a piece of paper and scribbled on it. He tucked the paper in the pages of my passport and handed it over to me with instructions to take the passport back to the immigration office on the ground floor where I would be attended to. I did as Mr. Wanda said but instead of my visa extension signed at the ground floor, I was asked to take it back to the seventh floor, to Mr. Wanda for his signature! What is so special about extending a Nigerian visa?

I knocked the door and entered. He collected my passport and countersigned the visa page. He then plucked a giant iron stamp from a rack and stomped my passport with it. ‘Why is Nigeria this special?’ I asked under my breath.



Mr. Wanda smiled, ‘very special,’ he corroborated ignoring my question. I collected my passport and, as I was leaving, he said, ‘Your extended visa expires on June 29, by June 28 you should disappear from Kenya.’



I paused at the door, turned my head and looked at him pensively for a long moment. He met my gaze with an unflinching intent. I nodded and left.
http://www.nigeriansinamerica.com/articles/1800/1/Why-Not-Take-Your-Wife-To-Nigeria-Instead-Of-Polluting-Our-Country/Page1.html

A bit long, didn't get the real point . . . . . .

Siena:

A bit long, didn't get the real point . . . . . .

It appears we are no longer welcome in Kenya

I want to know what a 'three-pronged oscillator' man is!

We are not really welcome in most countries. Try going to Europe with a Nigerian passport and see what I mean. The fact that you're black is bad enough, let alone that you have a Nigerian passport.

The bad deeds of a few Nigerians have been used to judge us all.

Once another African (non-Nigerian) knows that I'm Nigerian, I end up hearing stories of all the bad things Nigerians have done in their countries from chalk being sold as paracetamol to the usual 419 scams. Where I used to work, one Ghanaian lady told me how she really felt about Nigerians, and it was bad. I had to tell her to shut up. If our fellow Africans feel this way about us, just imagine how the rest of the world feels.

Until some Nigerians stop trying to acquire riches 'by any means' necessary, we won't be welcome in most countries.

And, why are Nigerians not always made welcome in most countries?
The answers are staring you in the face.

BlkRaven:

The bad deeds of a few Nigerians have been used to judge us all.

Once another African (non-Nigerian) knows that I'm Nigerian, I end up hearing stories of all the bad things Nigerians have done in their countries from chalk being sold as paracetamol to the usual 419 stories. Where I used to work, one Ghanaian lady told me how she really felt about Nigerians, and it was bad. I had to tell her to shut up. If our fellow Africans feel this way about us, just imagine how the rest of the world feels.

Until some Nigerians stop trying to acquire riches 'by any means' necessary, we won't be welcome in most countries.

You're bang on target sister.

The only discrepancy I can see is where you say "a few Nigerians". I'd say, a lot of Nigerians! I get a lot of unsolicited emails / yahoo! contacts from here, a lot of them asking me to do all manner of illegal deeds! Bear in mind, Nairaland does not even make up a fraction of the smallest village in Nigeria!

As for the Ghanian lady, she was just saying what she felt, it's not nice to hear, but in most cases, very true. Nigerians not welcome in Kenya! It would be funny, if it wasn't so tragic.

Siena:

You're bang on target sister.

The only discrepancy I can see is where you say "a few Nigerians". I'd say, a lot of Nigerians! I get a lot of unsolicited emails / yahoo! contacts from here a lot of them asking me to do all manner of illegal deeds! Bear in mind, Nairaland does not even make up a fraction of the smallest village in Nigeria!

As for the Ghanian lady, she was just saying what she felt, it's not nice to hear, but in most cases, very true. Nigerians not welcome in Kenya! It would be funny, if it wasn't so tragic.

Siena
I thought they were few because I don't come across scammers very often. I stand corrected.

@ Raven: That's ok.

I get unsolicited e-mails all the time, but rarely ones from Nigerian scammers. I've never heard of an e-mail which, on its own has the ability to scam you.  If someone goes in for a scam which looks to involve a process which they believe to be illegal, they are willing to be an accomplice, and share a criminal propensity.

I think we have to accept the fact that bad news travels fast and far. I remember one Ghanaian lady also who told me how she felt about Nigerians, this was before she told me that her brother who was "missing" in London, was actually serving a prison sentence, the owner of the Ghanaian restaurant that we visited was closed down because it was actually a cover for drug trafficking (using children as couriers), oh and also before she told me, that almost all her friends from school went to Togo for prostitution.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

We know we have a criminal element, no Nigerian would deny that,but don't think that all our neighbours are squeaky clean as they would have you believe. Having said that, the few who spoil our name should be severly dealt with, rather than celebrated just because they have money and a flshy lifestyle.

it's a very interesting subject,
as a foreigner, i have to admit, that the day i told my friends that my company sent me to Nigeria, i got all the horrible stories about nigeria and nigerians, that i would be robed the 1st day, that if i use my visa card, it will be scamed, that if i meet a nice lady, she will fall pregnant and claim money, , i have defended this country before i got to know it and i have told them that i will succeed to pass a nice period of my life her, i have to admit that i spoke littel bit too fast,
i don't say that i have bee robed or scamed (i'm carefulll) but i heard a lot of stories from very close friends (including nigerians) that have been victime of armed robery or scam, ,
it is sad that this county has such a bad reputation all around the world, but we should as ourselves why hjow come all the world consider Nigeria as dangerous, is it that the rest of the world is wrong ?, maybe not, maybe some (limited) individuals have spoiled the reputation of the whole nation, but what are the rest of you (who i belive have nothing to do with the bad Nigerians are doing to reverse the reputation of nigeria to the positive
why is it that when a cops stop you and it's a white man in the car, he immediatelly ask for money, jump inside the car and wont leave untill paid , when at the same time hundred of cars that does not comply with any safety reglations pass under their noses without a single action?
why is it when a white man arrive at the border, he is asked to dash all the officers for the service, when we know that the border crossing is free f charge ?
why is it when a white man goes to the market and buy vegetables / dvd's, he pays 3 times the price a nigerian pays i can go on like this for a while, but this is not my intention, i'm only trying to show that this kind of bad reputation to nigeria are still going on, and as long as the whites are not considered ans normal individuals on the road, they will still tag nigeria and nigerians with the bad names.
i peresonally, have not a single issue with the nigerians, i visite places where others dont dare to go with mopol, i eat local and dress local, i have managed to get respect and given respect, Nigerian are the most normal poeple to deal with, but infortunatelly, some bad individuals are simply stupid ti ruine the reputation of the whole nation.
i love this country and i love it;s poeple, god bless Nigerian and the Good Nigerians

Oyibo, I'm glad you like Nigeria and Nigerians. However, I have been to places in America where I felt unsafe and places in Nigeria where I felt unsafe. There are killings and robberies all over the world, in the west people dont just kill for gain, but for fun, I've heard more senseless crimes in the West than in Nigeria. This is not to say that Nigeria doesn't have a crime problem its quite obvious that we do, but lets be under no illusion about criminal elements in the so called West.

I've grown up hearing of conmen and women in Europe/America, they dont call it 419, but its essentially the same thing isn't it?

As far as Whites being charged higher rates, its the same for Nigerians who come from abroad, they associate us with wealth, a stereotype which we must admit, we have perpetuated whether we like it or not. When White people came to Nigeria, they didn't come as equals, and they are not treated as equals. while you may be charged a higher price, you are probably also afforded an air of superiority and respect, which the rest of us dont recieve in our own country, you are "Oga" by virtue of your skin colour, its sad and wrong, but you cant enjoy the fruits of being seen as different, then compain when it makes less positive things come your way.

I'm in no way accusing you or placing blame on you as an individual, but the "whites are different/better/wealthier/more educated" mantra already preceeded your arrival on African soil, sadly, put their by your own people.

I hope you continue to enjoy Nigeria and Nigerians, you are very welcome.

@ londoner

I think we have to accept the fact that bad news travels fast and far. I remember one Ghanaian lady also who told me how she felt about Nigerians, this was before she told me that her brother who was "missing" in London, was actually serving a prison sentence, the owner of the Ghanaian restaurant that we visited was closed down because it was actually a cover for drug trafficking (using children as couriers), oh and also before she told me, that almost all her friends from school went to Togo for prostitution.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

We know we have a criminal element, no Nigerian would deny that,but don't think that all our neighbours are squeaky clean as they would have you believe. Having said that, the few who spoil our name should be severly dealt with, rather than celebrated just because they have money and a flshy lifestyle.

Spot on. This reminds me of the so called Nigerian 419 exposed on ABC network who looks like a Ghanian and spoke with their accent. It caused me to think have we now become a blanket description for all fraud committed by a dark skinned person?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHphszkawoU

what do you think?

@ Etin, you are right, that is definately  a Ghanaian accent. To me the man looks Naija.

What makes me angry is that the White man  also had a criminal mind. He was willing to enter into a criminal activity which was not masqueraded as anything other than criminal. He has the same mentality as the Naija/Ghanaian 419er, then they have the cheek to display him as an innocent victim. He is a surgeon, he already has money, but he also wanted a share of stolen money, he wanted to get rich quick from money he knew was being obtained illegally.

I have no sympathy whatsoever for any of them. Its funny how white people can paint whatever they are doing as clean and upright, no matter how criminal and dishonest it is.

I always find it funny when people want to point out that other people commit crime etc - it's like a child blaming a sibling or an invisible friend for doing something. 

Even if other nationalities do these things what do I care?  Is their country's reputation anything like Nigeria's reputation abroad?

Siena said it best:

Siena:

And, why are Nigerians not always made welcome in most countries?
The answers are staring you in the face.