coogar: nigerians make up a huge percentage of the nurses or social care workers here. if they refuse to go to work just for one day, the British economy would collapse as the brits cannot even do what these honest nigerians do on a daily basis!

adconline: NASS , ministers,relatives conubines are worried because they are going to be the hardest hit.

jess5:

The more reason Nigeria should be ashamed of itself. Since the British economy will collapse without Nigerians who helped them in building Britain and making it livable, don't you think it's time Nigeria stop worrying about the British economy and make the Nigerian economy strong just as they have been doing for the UK till date?

Why are honest Nigerians working hard to build British economy while they abandon their own country?

ogb5:

She is talking about the health sector collapsing because she wants the british to appreciate the contributions of Nigeria professionals to the progress of the british society. Obviously thats not too much to ask for.

If we allow the british to discriminate against us, what will stop the Americans, French, Canadians and all others from disciminating against us.

If the british try it, infact they should put a landing fee of 1 million naira per persenger that flies a british plane into Nigeria, Let BA stop their daily flights to Nigeria

dabrake:
@gbawe, i do like you a lot but I won't agree with you this time. at this point in time, you should be defending the interest of the average Nigerian instead of trying to score cheap political points.

Gbawe:

I am not asking her not to defend the interest of Nigerians. Merely stating she should do it intelligently and not muddy up issues with bellicose talk that reveals she has not even taken time to understand the full picture.

If a Nigerian applies for a six month visa to visit friends and family in the UK, what is the point of Dabiri-Erewa talking of collapsing anyone's health sector if that visitor is asked to pay a refundable bond? What concerns employment with this? Let us refrain from being sentimental with everything. Britain say they are targeting those who stay beyond their visitor Visa. We should therefore tackle the unfairness of the Visa bond on its own merit and with relevant argument. It should certainly not be a Nigerian political leader talking ignorantly when we need them to make cogent argument on our behalf.

Freiburger:
oga cho knockle for that, how brilliant from you.

Deep Sight:
There is absolutely no need to rationalize or defend the intended British Policy, as every nation's foreign policy must be dictated by its self interest and the interest of its citizens.

As such, the United Kingdom is free to implement the said policy, just as surely as we are free to implement a similar policy with regard to them.

Since the per capita income of the UK far outweighs that of Nigeria, we should place a bond on their citizens in exact proportion to the difference in per capita income. Thus, if the income of the average Nigerian is $10, and the income of the average Brit is $300, then, given their bond of 3000 pounds, the bond we will impose on them would be 90, 000 pounds.

Now there is no need to rationalize this in any way, shape or form: we are merely catering to our national self interest. If they cannot live with the bond we impose, then they would have to revisit the bond they have imposed.

This way, Nigeria will be taken more seriously in international affairs. They would be very wary of waking up tomorrow with any other such ideas of bonds. Its quite scandalous already, the amount of money they make from mere visa application fees.

Now, as President, I will go further. I know very well that Nigeria is a large nation by any parameters anywhere in the world. I know very well that we are strategically placed enough to hold our own diplomatically with any nation in the world, and we have done it several times in the past with this same Britain, South Africa, Russia, the USA and others.

As President, I would press the issue by directing that our 90, 000 pound bond takes effect next week.

I would further direct that all Britons currently in Nigeria have to remit the bond within one week, or be deported immediately.

Strategically I know that they cannot take same retaliatory steps because their interests far outweigh ours in every respect.

I would go further still. Not publicly, but privately, I would have my ambassador inform the British authorities that this will end very ugly. Businesses would be affected, oil mining licences withdrawn from companies with British equity, and many more. These people would think in their interests. During the Abacha years, Nigerian airlines were barred from Britain on safety grounds. The FG promptly barred BA on safety grounds. They blinked first, and they blinked immediately.

I tell you, we can more than hold our own diplomatically. The very first sneeze from the FG, if well targeted, will make the Brits cancel this instanta!

During the Yaradua years, these people were in a panic because the Chinese and Russians were making strong bids for Nigerian Oil Mining Licences that were about to expire. I would play dirty. As soon as I issue my directives on the bond for British Citizens, their intelligence services would simultaneously notice hectic and consistent visits of Russian and Chinese officials and businessmen to the Presidency in Abuja, and NNPC.

Dem no yet see bad boy presido, I tell ya.

sultanemerald:

tell the fellow. some peeps are funny. a rep promoting nigeria is now labelled a ranter? God forgive you.

Gbawe:

I am not asking her not to defend the interest of Nigerians. Merely stating she should do it intelligently and not muddy up issues with bellicose talk that reveals she has not even taken time to understand the full picture.

If a Nigerian applies for a six month visa to visit friends and family in the UK, what is the point of Dabiri-Erewa talking of collapsing anyone's health sector if that visitor is asked to pay a refundable bond? What concerns employment with this? Let us refrain from being sentimental with everything. Britain say they are targeting those who stay beyond their visitor Visa. We should therefore tackle the unfairness of the Visa bond on its own merit and with relevant argument. It should certainly not be a Nigerian political leader talking ignorantly when we need them to make cogent argument on our behalf.

occam:

In reality Nigeria has no leverage nor can we force our will on most nations. Years of been ruled by visionless and corrupt leaders has consigned us to the heap of powerless nations. Think the Brits can impose such policy on South Africa or Brazil?

Any tit for tat will ultimately hurt ordinary Nigerians. Our leaders will only blow hot air and back off to save face

Besides, asking visitors for bonds is just creating avenues for our corrupt immigration officials to fatten their pockets. Egunje will be rampant at the border and life will be made more difficult for ALL visitors not the Brits only

Gbawe:

Look, let us be rational. Those folks are not Nairalanders. The level they operate at involves using cogent and relevant argument to make your point. The visitor Visa targeted has no work permit attached so no need for a Nigerian politician to talk of the health sector of others.

A UK representative will simply respond by saying a visitor who intends to return has nothing to worry about. They can point out that a visitors Visa has nothing to do with an employment based immigrant Visa which is what a sort-after medical practitioner would obtain. It would be easy for a British representative to patronisingly ask Dabiri-Erewa what her point is considering that no Nigerian working today in the British medical sector would have legally gotten employment while on a visitors Visa that prohibits them from seeking any form of employment in the UK while there. Please let us shun sentiments and tell our leaders to raise the bar when they must otherwise we will be affected by their poor knowledge and thinking.

moodswing:

This matter don pass your reasoning capacity. You are obviously trying not to confuse yourself, but failed woefully.

Read the thread again and you might understand why she referred to those workers.

Gbawe the sabinus.

Dabiri-Erewa said: “Nigeria should adopt the principle of reciprocity. If they ask us to pay £3,000, lettheir citizens also pay N5million visa bond.

“This is a discriminatory policy and it is unacceptable. Do not forget that we are a member of the Commonwealth, what are we going to enjoy if they could impose such a discriminatory policy?

“I am quite sure that France will not impose visa bond on their former colonies. The UK Government should reverse itor else we should pay them back in equal measure.

“The Federal Government should not allow the situation to lie low; it should reject it and make it reciprocal.

“When South Africa said we should be paying N100, 000 visa bond and we reciprocated, it quickly stopped the policy.

“If Nigerian and Indian doctors withdraw their services in the UK, their health sector will collapse.

Gbawe:

Look, let us be rational. Those folks are not Nairalanders. The level they operate at involves using cogent and relevant argument to make your point. The visitor Visa targeted has no work permit attached so no need for a Nigerian politician to talk of the health sector of others.

A UK representative will simply respond by saying a visitor who intends to return has nothing to worry about. They can point out that a visitors Visa has nothing to do with an employment based immigrant Visa which is what a sort-after medical practitioner would obtain. It would be easy for a British representative to patronisingly ask Dabiri-Erewa what her point is considering that no Nigerian working today in the British medical sector would have legally gotten employment while on a visitors Visa that prohibits them from seeking any form of employment in the UK while there. Please let us shun sentiments and tell our leaders to raise the bar when they must otherwise we will be affected by their poor knowledge and thinking.

sultanemerald:

i totally get your point. forget her not so smart arguments. when it comes to policies that affect nigerians. i become irrational. i always lean towards nigeria. forgive me.

kkkp:

Initial gragra..FG can not do anytin

jess5:

Very true. Instead of them to find the solution to the topic at hand, they are coming up with the ones that make it look like they are in support of Nigerians who go to the UK on visitors visa and never comeback. Or those that go there for complicated health issues without paying a dime.

Gbawe: An argument can be made on its own merit that the £3,000 visa bond is simply punitively unfair because it is a lot of money !!! Most Brits cannot even afford that themselves so why levy such on Nigerians?

Gbawe:

I am not asking her not to defend the interest of Nigerians. Merely stating she should do it intelligently and not muddy up issues with bellicose talk that reveals she has not even taken time to understand the full picture.

If a Nigerian applies for a six month visa to visit friends and family in the UK, what is the point of Dabiri-Erewa talking of collapsing anyone's health sector if that visitor is asked to pay a refundable bond? What concerns employment with this? Let us refrain from being sentimental with everything. Britain say they are targeting those who stay beyond their visitor Visa. We should therefore tackle the unfairness of the Visa bond on its own merit and with relevant argument. It should certainly not be a Nigerian political leader talking ignorantly when we need them to make cogent argument on our behalf.

~ZN~:
I want to believe this is not true. What?

Do we have UK citizens "over-staying" their visa dates here? The FG wants to hit back at the Brits?

9ja_I_hail: This will be a right move only if Tinumbu and opposition parties do not play politics with this, forgetting that national interest should not be use to score cheap political point.

GEJ administration is the first Nigeria Govt to fight for it citizens right internationally.

goodtalk: How else can you explain why t'he british prime minister told t'he world that they would be cutting aids from Nigeria for its refusal to support same sex marriage or homosexual/lesbian intimasy of course you can ask me of what relevance is this to solving maternal mortality and polio eradication for which some this aids where meant to address! So please spear me your munbo jumbo talk of Abike dabiri not getting a grasps of t'he issue!