Visa, Bribery, and Divine Intervention



Let me share with you amazing thing happened to my visa to stay in Nigeria. I arrived Nigeria on 12th May as a representative of SWACIN, a non-profit to support Nigerian women and children, to meet the embassy and because of the half –way approved project, I requested the immigration in Abuja for conversion of STR visa (work visa) from business visa I came with.



Then imagine! I was asked to pay immigration officer 80,000N (approx. $250) upon receipt of the STR visa in addition to 410,000N ($1200) for visa conversion. When I asked for a receipt, the officer said he would give me but when I paid the cash to him, he said he would require additional 41,000N ($120) for issuing receipt because normally they don’t issue receipt and that he would be hiring a consultant to do it.



I came to wonder if this is a legal and official process. Meantime I met the president of GSO Corporation, Mr. Gozi Oburota, of an oil company linked to US department of Defense, whom I was introduced by my banker. As I asked him casually about the legality and ethics of the above encounter, next day he took me to go see the authorities of the immigration office in Abuja. Then he negotiated with them to remove any difficulty getting my visa for SWACIN’s (My NGO ) intentions to do good for the society.



WOW! It was awe-inspiriting...after all I paid the reduced fees and got the visa on the same day! He later indicated me that their inability to give receipt has to do with the bribery which normally takes right in the government office when they hire contractors to convert the visa. It seems very difficult to change the system, according to him. This was also forwarded to Correspondence unit, US Consulate General, Lagos, Nigeria.



Now, it became clear that Dr. X, who asked SWACIN to assist his project to be approved by the Japan embassy had to do with the bribery. It was such a big disappointment that he is be-friended with the immigration officer and introduced me to the officer who charged me the immense amount of the fees. Based on what I hear from companies in Abuja, for the amount of fees required to convert the visa to STR usually is about 200,000N. ($620) That means that the sum of 290,000N ($900)was overcharged! I came to question Dr. X’s integrity because not only did he not protect me from such illegal transaction, but even pressuring me to pay to the officer.



He knew I came all the way from Japan to help him getting the fund from the Japan embassy. I did not charge him even a Naira. Did he help me to pay my accommodation? Is he paying my salary? NO. I was the one buying him lunch, paying his due when he faced desperation for paying high bills. Helping and showing good will is common practice in Japan to show good will to his or her partner—if the other really appreciates and reciprocates. But my question is this: Is Dr. X really suited to work on the welfare of women and children?



With no time, I withdrew from the project with him. No doubt, I will take this matter to the attention of the embassy. All of Japan should know what a wrong man can do to NPO like us in good wishes for humanity. Let’s keep moving forward with unbending positive attitude. To me doing so is rewarding. I have no regret whatsoever even if the road is very rough for SWACIN. Last, but not the least, let’s thank Mr. Gozi Oburota of GSO corporation whole-heartedly. We know he didn’t have to do what he did, that is why it is so worthy of attention!



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