JeSoul,Tpiah and Dantecmu: Thank you all for your comments.

I don't have any US based relatives who could help. My Mum is my only relative.My close network of friends are still seeking job employment.You know how Nigeria is!

Dantecmu,thank you for your warm comment. I did as you suggested,surfed sites such as British Airways, AirFrance,Arik and Emirates. The cheapest airticket and destination was for Emirates Airlines. A one way ticket to New York (JFK) from Lagos (LOS),Departing Sunday, 31 October, 2010 would cost: USD 1012.05 which would translate to about #152,000. Payment was to be made into a dedicated Emirates Nigeria Account with either Zenith Bank or UBA.

omega25red and JeSoul: Thanks for your follow-up and concern.

Now to my explanation:

When I began processing a re-issue of my passport, I only had my birth certificate,some vital information such as (Hospital of Birth,Place of birth,Time of birth,Residence, from my Mum) my school certificates,a few growing up pictures and a genealogy printout from www.ancestry.com. (If you have the time,you can look up some of my records with my name initials D.A with D.O.B 23/01/19xx

JeSoul:

Mafe, we would like to believe you. But can you please explain how you got a passport in the first place without a SSN?

At the US Consulate inner office,I was given a form which I filled with perosnal information. None of which requested my SSN.My passport photograph was attached to the form and I was made to swear in front of an Attorney right there in the office. There after I was told to go pay passport processing fees. I was told to expect my passport in two weeks time. It was after I picked up my passport that I was told that I still needed to have my SSN.That the passport is just a travel document unlike the SSN which is more or less a person's life. I was told you need it to do vital things such as opening bank accounts, getting a driver's license,applying for loans e.t.c

I remember been told that I was likely to be issued my SSN.The problem could be that my parents had forgotten the number.I don't think my Mum remembered that.I was also told that I needed to get back to the US to process one and that it would take between 2 to 4 weeks to get one. I was reliably told that The Social Security Administration had no administrative support for Nigeria or any other African country and that the US State of Department and the Social Security Administration are 2 different US agencies minding their own business.

After paying several frustrating visits to the Consular office,someone advised me to make US Dept. Of State notarized copies of my passport and birth certificate and send by registered courier to their office. I did as told,paid for notarization at the US Consulate,sent the documents via EMS Speedpost and tracked it online. Till today I haven't heard anything.

You can even get comprehensive information about me from the FPU Section/US Consulate,Lagos Nigeria.

I am not a scam artist. I am just reaching out for help. As soon as I get my SSN,apply for a credit card(never applied for one;so that should qualify me for a Good/Excellent Credit rating) I'll be able to payback definitely,even with interest.

justwise:

[/b]

Thats true. https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=477016.msg6363731#msg6363731, its the same person.

Justwise and Omega 25red: Very true

I did seek for advice from this forum. I actually did send notarized copies of my birth certificate and passport by registered mail to the New York office of the Social Security Administration and followed it up by e-mail. That was in Feb'2008.Got no reply till date.I later found out from the SSA website that they have since stopped correspondence by e-mail.Apparently for security reasons. Actually I wanted to do things my own way,but what can you do if you can't secure a job.I was trained as a microbiologist.Graduated from the University Of Ado-Ekiti last year. Was posted to Bauchi state. Couldn't complete the service year because of the"boko haram" incident. I even gathered security report from the Consulate before going to Bauchi. It's as if they knew before we knew in Nigeria.Even with your School certificate and NYSC discharge certificate,chances of getting a job in Nigeria is very slim. My Mum, she is my only parent. She's a pensioner.She received her last payment May'09

omega25red:

i guess the money he got the last time has run out then

I didnt get any money. I got my passport in 2008 and graduated in 2009. If I was patient enough to do my project work,graduate and get called up for national service, would you see as a scam artist.


My cause is a genuine one, A good name is better than silver or gold.

Hello Nlanders,

Would anyone need any kind of legal service in exchange for a one way ticket to the US. I am American citizen,holding a valid US passport but sadly stranded in Lagos,Nigeria.I already paid several visits to the US Consulate in lagos. They wouldn't help me because I don't have a SSN on record.My parents forgot to get it for me before returning to Nigeria.

I'll be more than welcome to exchange my service and your satisfaction for transport back to the US.

coolier:

Is your Social Security Number proof of citizenship or your US passport? You're telling us you have a US passport and they're still asking for your social security number at the Consulate as proof of citizenship? I don't believe that! A standard U.S. birth certificate issued by a state government is your primary proof of U.S. citizenship, the US passport supersedes that.

But if your US passport was issued in Nigeria due to the fact you were born by US citizens but you've actually never been to US before or you were born in the US and brought to Nigeria as a baby, then the Consulate is under no obligation to return you there, or 'lend' you money as you put it, the onus is on you to get yourself back there if you so desire, except of course you're on holidays, you run into difficulties and you get stuck in a foreign country then it is their duty to protect you and get you back home safely.

Thank you so much for your reply. Now I understand why the onus was on me to find my way back to the states

Thank you for the piece of information.

I already tried

omega25red:

go to the u.s consulate office and they can lend you the ticket money which you will have to pay back when you get back to the states.

They wouldn't lend me because of my Social Security Number. I was issued one at birth but I can't remember it. That was the stumbling block towards getting a travel loan.

I would welcome more suggestions.Thanks

Valid US Passport, No money for return ticket to the US, So hopeless, Any Ideas

Thanks

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