Former Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Americas (NIDOA), Obed Monago has decried the treatment meted out to Nigerians by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The country recently stopped the issuance of visas to Nigerians. All submitted applications were rejected without refund of visa fees to the applicants.
Monago blamed the Nigerian government and unlawful citizens in the UAE for their actions.
“It is appalling that the citizens of the giant of Africa are treated and toyed with in this manner and the blame goes to successive Nigerian governments”, he told NAN.
“Also Nigerians, who have refused or did not realise that UAE is a sovereign country with its own rules and regulations, should also be blamed.”
“I find troubling the nullification of visa applications and the keeping of the visa fees by the UAE government. The UAE should fully refund the application fees.
“If they refund the fees that would show that the actions they are taking are in good faith and if they hold on to the fees, it would amount to extortion,“ he said.
The UAE immigration authorities recently announced a visa ban on Nigerians seeking to enter the country and all submitted applications were rejected without refunding the visa fees to the applicants.
