Recent reports of the difficulties and indignities which some prominent Nigerians have suffered trying to secure visas to some countries in Europe and Americas, have once again brought to the fore the whole issue of the disgraceful treatment generally meted out to Nigerians most of whom have legitimate cause to travel to certain destinations abroad.

Consular officials in many Western countries appear to see most Nigerians as pests that should be kept out at all cost. For instance, in spite of the out-sourcing of consular duty to an Indian firm, VFS Global Services by the British Embassy, Nigerians, irrespective of status, still go through harrowing experiences to get a visa to travel to Britain. Prospective travelers still have to wait in endless queues for travel documents and are treated with undisguised contempt. Even after being subjected to such discourtesies, some deserving candidates end up being denied a visa.
While countries reserve the right to decide who to allow into their countries, we deplore the extremely demeaning manner otherwise respectable Nigerians are treated by some embassy staff. Daily Trust believes that even if such huge numbers apply for visa and in the process stretching the capacity of such consular units, each case deserves to be dealt with on its own merit in manner that is not demeaning to applicants. This should especially be so considering that such applicants pay hefty fees for the service rendered.

We have cause to think that at the heart of the rather nasty treatment of many Nigerians seeking to travel abroad is the belief that many of the potential travelers are economic immigrants seeking to find refuge in their well developed economy. The naked truth is that if Nigerians are perceived as wealthy people on a business or tourism trip who will go and invest in, rather than take away from, those countries, they would be treated with utmost courtesy.

Nigerians themselves have not helped matters by their obvious belief that anywhere else is better than Nigeria as seen in their desperate determination to leave the country. It is unfortunate that in the attempt to leave, some will not hesitate to use means both fair and foul to do so. Embassy officials of those nations therefore have a right to take steps that they think would protect their countries from the onslaught of desperate refugees.

For us, however, there is some beauty in the nastiness with which Nigerians are treated by some of those heartless consular officials. We see in that a wake up call on us all, especially our leaders, to do everything to develop our own country. The fact that many other members of the human family are treating us as if we were leprous should sufficiently provoke us to think about our ill-treatment. We are confident that if Nigerians are properly mobilized to join hands together to build a prosperous society, the desperation of our people to seek to go to other countries would be reduced.

There is no magic about it: those other nations that have become developed and are today seen as places to be by Nigerians, attained their present enviable state through the discipline, prudence, hard work ethic and the patriotism of the citizenry. Nigerian leaders have a responsibility to inspire and galvanise Nigerians, young or old, to be deeply involved in nation building. Nigerian authorities should also monitor the conduct of consular officials to the country’s citizens in order to defend what remains of the dignity of Nigerians with legitimate reasons to want to travel abroad.

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