Some Nigerians resident in the United States of America (USA) have called on the Federal Government to prevail on the Nigerian Consulate in New York to issue them their international passport to enable them to visit home.
They said the officials of the Nigerian Consulate in New York took their biometric in August 2022 after they applied for renewal but have not been issued a replacement more than a year after.
This, they said had put them Nigerians who include students and professionals in a dilemma as they say it is impossible to travel to Nigeria to see their families.
Members of the Nigerian Community Association in Milwaukee, Wisconsin who were affected said their biometrics were taken in a 3-day exercise supervised by the Consulate General from New York in August 2022 and but were yet to be issued their international passports till date
Narrating her experience, one of the applicants, Miss Obiaku Chidimma said the New York Consulate officials had not got back to her after taking the biometric about 14 months ago.
Chidimma said even the intervention of the leadership of Nigerian Community in Milwaukee, Wisconsin which liaised with New York Consulate office did not produce a different result.
She said she had purchased air ticket to travel to Nigeria but the airline said they would not lift her because her passport was not valid.
She said the airline demanded a cover not from Nigeria consular office processing the passport but she could not get it because the New York Consulate office did not respond to several enquiries.made through several channels including calls and email.
She said it was unfortunate that a consulate that was set up work in the interest of citizens abroad would not keep an open communication system with them in order to know their challenges with a view to proffering solution to them.
“Many of us planning to visit our families in Nigeria during the yuletide seasons will not be able to do so now because of the refusal of the Nigerian embassy in New York to issue our international passports to us,” she said.
The embattled Nigerians are calling on the federal government through the Ministry of External Affairs, ministry of Internal Affairs, Immigration Services and Diaspora Commission to prevail on the Nigerian Consulate in New York to issue them their international passports which they had paid for with biometrics taken.
