Twenty-four members of the Ondo State
House of Assembly were denied visas to
travel to the United States of America by the
country ‘s embassy in Nigeria last week.
Our correspondent learnt that the
lawmakers, who are currently on working
recess, were scheduled to travel to the US
for a two-week seminar from the middle of
this month.
It was further learnt that the action of the
US embassy might not be unconnected with
the new regulations released after the
attempted suicide bombing of an American
airliner on December 25 last year alleged to
have involved a Nigerian, Farouk Abdul-
Mutallab.
Only the Speaker, Mr. Abdulsalam Taofik, and
three principal officers of the Assembly,
who had applied for visas before the
December incident, were not affected by
the action of the US embassy.
”The remaining 22 legislators who applied
after the December 25th 2009 incident
were turned down, ” a source said.
Confirming the development, the member
representing Ilaje State Constituency II, Mr.
Otito Atikase, said the US government ‘s
action against them was unpleasant, callous
and a slap on Nigeria as a nation.
He noted that what happened on December
25th which allegedly involved Abdul-
Mutallab did not make other 150 million
Nigerians criminals.
However, the Speaker in a telephone
interview with our correspondent on
Thursday, said it was not true that the US
embassy denied his colleagues visas.
He explained that the Assembly agreed to
attend the seminar in three countries
including the US, Canada, and the United
Kingdom.
“Why should Atikase be spreading
unfounded rumours? He did not apply for
the US; he applied for the Canadian visa and
we are already processing that for him, ”
Taofik said.
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