Why Nigerians crave to live Overseas

By CHIOMA GABRIEL, EDITOR SPECIAL FEATURES

Ogadi, 46 had always nursed a dream to live and work in America. Immediately he finished his secondary school in one of the Ajegunle schools in Lagos, travelling abroad became his main focus. For years, Ogadi nursed the dream and made several attempts that failed.

But it became an obsession that he could not control. At one point, he made it to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport but it turned out his visa was fake and he was sent back. Soon he began to notice that most of his colleagues that graduated from the same secondary school with him and other contemporaries in his neighbourhood had already graduated from the university while he still struggled for a United States visa.

The girls in the neighbourhood whom he had ‘chased’ at one point or the other began to use it to mock him at his back. Every girl in the neighbourhood knew that Ogadi used the line of ‘about to travel abroad’ to chase girls and years became decades but Ogadi never travelled.

He soon realised that his friends and mates in his secondary school had not only graduated from the University but had become men and moved on with their lives. He also noticed that the friends and classmates in the past could no longer reckon with him. He was no longer in the same league with them. Some had become astute professionals and many who hitherto nursed no dream of travelling abroad after graduating from the university had travelled out for further education.

The teenager soon turned 30 and had to move out of the neighbourhood.

When he was no longer seen around the neighbourbood, many thought his dream had finally come true. But that was until many years later when an old school mate went to Allen Avenue in Lagos and met him at a barbers shop where he was employed as a barber. Ogadi lied to him that he just returned from the United States but it turned out the old school mate came to see the guy that employed Ogadi and harboured him all the while. His shame knew no bounds and Ogadi begged him not to escalate what he saw.

Eventually, the American dream died and Ogadi changed his craze. He now decided he was going to Europe. Again, he tried and failed and reduced his dream to wanting to live in Asia. Even till date, at age 46, Ogadi is still trying to adjust to a dream that never became a reality.

He didn’t acquire any further knowledge, nor education or gained any skill apart from barbing. He has no accommodation and still squatted about . He has not been able to settle down in a marital relationship but fathered two children with different women who shared his dream of wanting to travel and live in America.

Not a peculiar matter

But Ogadi is not alone in this crave. A visit to immigration offices and foreign embassies in Lagos shows how desperate some Nigerians have become in their crave to travel and live abroad. As early as 7am in any immigration or visa office in Nigeria, Nigerians of different sexes, age and backgrounds would besiege the offices either bidding to get an international passports or obtain visas to travel out of the country.

During a visit to Ikoyi, Lagos immigration office, the Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Segun Adegoke could not contain the crowd at his personal office demanding his attention for their international passports. From time to time, Adegoke kept coming out to clear the crowd of passport seekers that blocked the entrance of his office. As nice as he tried to be, some aggressive passport seekers dared blocked him and worried him to attend to them. One of his aides told Saturday Vanguard that what the writer witnessed was a daily occurrence.

“We’ve had cases of people coming to renew their passports and you realised that the ones that expired were never used. Some people just want to own international passports and some want to use it in place of identity cards but we cannot afford the luxury because of the scarcity of booklets. Some people have no business travelling anywhere but they want to own passports. And if you keep giving it to every Tom, Dick and Harry, when the people who truly need the passports like some in essential services come, we’d have a problem of booklets. So, we have devised a way of keeping booklets for people on essential services who may need to travel outside the country for urgent official government assignments.

“There’s one particular guy who has been coming here. Everytime, he tells the story of travelling in few days time and demanding for passport. We have been seeing him here and he keeps coming with all manner of stories. He has never travelled to any country. The near-success attempt he made to go to Europe failed. He was denied visa and his passport was stamped and he started coming again under the guise of having lost his passport. It’s a strange thing. See the crowd outside and how they have blocked everywhere. There are no booklets for the passports. We cannot kill ourselves. See, our ‘oga’ comes out himself to drive away the crowd blocking his office. This is what he does everyday and one has to be careful with such a crowd. He tries to be gentle and polite but we are planning to do something about having people barge into the offices.”

Within the premises, Saturday Vanguard tried to speak with some passport seekers at the waiting section and the stories differ from person to person.

Osagie who said he came to Lagos from Benin told Saturday Vangaurd that he didn’t understand what goes on with immigration. “I filled my passport form since November last year. I paid and was captured but have not gotten my passport. I don’t understand, there is no uniformity in the charges. Some pay more than the others and some will pay for the big booklet and be given the small one. They will ask you to pay for the big one and later tell you that what you paid for is not yet available. And that’s how they keep disappointing you.”

But Saturday Vanguard found out that one can apply for a passport and get it the same day as was the case with this writer who got to the Ikoyi office of immigration around 2pm and before 6pm of the same day , got her passport.

One of the media officers at the Ikoyi office said it can be done and has been done severally. “ You have evidence of a visa appointment the next morning and you are travelling officially. It is for people like you that we have some booklets kept for emergency. You would have noticed some police or military personnel coming for passports. There are some government officials also coming for official emergencies.

“Some of the people out there are not travelling anywhere. Some just want to have passports and some have been striving to travel out to live overseas over the years. To some, owning an international passport is a status thing.”

Virginia Malachy came to the passport office with her husband and two children aged between 11 and 13. According to her, “ we are tired of living in Nigeria. My husband lost his job after 15-years due to the recession. Where he worked, they are still owing him salary and gratuity. I am a teacher in a private school and earn N23,000 every month.

Even that is not regular. My husband and I do a lot of odd jobs to survive and that does not help. We want to travel out. We have relations in South Africa and UK. My brother living in Canada promised to help if we find our way to where he is. I will try and my husband will try and anyone of us that succeeds with visa will go. But I’m very optimistic. My husband and I and the children may be lucky and that is why we are all here. We have families living overseas who know what we are passing through. My husband and I are University graduates and we are not lazy.”

Another international passport seeker, Obiajulu told Saturday Vanguard that there’s nothing more in Nigeria for him. He said: “ I have tried everything. It’s like something is following me from the village. I used to live in Mubi. I did well for sometime but this Boko Haram thing drove me back to my village in the East. It was difficult for me to adjust.

The insult was too much. Somebody that used to reign as a king in his family is now depending on the people he used to feed to survive. They were not making it easy. Even my younger ones started changing, asking me to go and look for something to do. I speak Hausa and I felt the only place for me was the North. I went to Kaduna but problem started there too. I came to Lagos. I have been in Lagos for four months. A school mate promised to take me along to Indonesia. I have not started talking about visa. Coming here everyday for passport is not easy. They told me my passport would be ready in one week but I have been coming for one month.”

Laide, 32, said her international passport expired and she came for renewal.” But all they tell me is that there is no booklet. Before I paid, they didn’t tell me that. I don’t know what is happening again.”

Asked if she ever travelled with the old passport, she said no.

“I didn’t have any cause to travel in the past but now that I do, the passport doesn’t have the six months validity and I need to get another one.”

At the Festac office of immigration in Lagos, Saturday Vanguard spoke with other passport seekers. Ayomide, a University undergraduate said she came for the validation of her passport.

“I have had it for three years but when I got into the University and needed to open an account in a new generation bank, I was told that my data was not coming up. I didn’t understand it. I obtained my international passport here at the Festac office and I don’t understand what they meant by ‘my data’ not coming up. So, I came back to find out from the passport office.”

But reacting to Ayomide’s situation, an immigration officer said he didn’t understand what the bank meant by the info in Ayomide’s passport not coming up.

“Nobody has access to our data bank except us. No bank is allowed access to information in peoples international passport or into our data bank. So, I suggest that the person in question goes back to the bank and request to see their operations manager or the bank’s PRO to explain what they meant. I have checked the said passport number again and the passport is valid. I don’t understand the meaning of passport info not coming up in the bank’s data. No bank is allowed access to our information bank.”

For Odinaka, she was making arrangements to travel and join her spouse who was living in United Kingdom. “ I have been living in Nigeria while my spouse is living in UK. We need to be together if our marriage must succeed. I don’t have kids yet from my relationship and that cannot happen if my husband and I are not together.”

Yemisi, 47, who came to the passport office with her two teenage daughters said her daughters needed the passport to travel to Canada for their University education.

“My husband and I studied abroad in the 80s. That was where we met before we returned to Nigeria after our marriage. Now, our kids are growing and we want them to study overseas like we did. Everything is set but for the visas and that’s why I brought them here. They are already admitted to their choice Universities of study.”

For pregnant Mrs Okeson, the desire to have children who are US citizens is her drive.

“I want to give birth to my kids in the United States. This is my first pregnancy and I’m already four months. I have relations who have American passports and based on their invitation to come, I don’t see a problem. I won’t want my kids to suffer to get visa like I did. It’s better to have children over there.”

For a serious businessman like Uche who operates between China, Dubai, Europe, UK and Nigeria, he didn’t come to Festac immigration office for any frivolous reason.

“I have six full international passports. I have been to China several times and Dubai. I have travelled to over 20 countries. I take clothing materials from Nigeria to other countries and bring from other countries to Nigeria. Many Africans living outside Africa depend on me to supply their traditional clothings. I travel to Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Mali, Cameroun and Sierra Leone and buy materials which I take to Europe,China, Dubai and other countries. Coming back, I buy clothes from those places to sell in Nigeria. I don’t live abroad and I don’t want to. My travelling is strictly for business.”

Efe, 39 said he was repatriated from Europe five years ago and got a five-year ban which has elapsed and he needs a new passport to go back.

“I was repatriated and a five-year ban stamped on my passport. The period of ban has elapsed and I need to go back. My wife and three children are still in Europe. I have to re-unite with them.”

Besides the crowd that besiege the immigration offices for international passports, there are also other things to contend with. At the entrance of every immigration office, there are the touts who are marketing anything international, ranging from helping to obtain international passports faster and international drivers licences and other things international.

Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Segun Adegoke at the Ikoyi office who was recently transferred to the Ikoyi immigration office said it was one of the the things on his agenda was to deal with the touts.

“One does not need to spend over N25,000 to get international passports but gullible people fall into the hands of the touts and get duped by them. I have already started dealing with the touts and my advice to anyone who comes here is to follow the routine.

Embassies are no different

If you think it’s all about getting international passport, wait until you get to the embassies. Your first question would be, where are Nigerians rushing to? The queue at the United States Embassy everyday is something else. Nigerians of different ages get invited for visa interview and at the end of the day after the long wait, many go home disappointed . It is a similar story in other embassies but the craze to travel to UK or the US appeared more appealing.

In their desperation to get travel visas, many get defrauded while many ended up with fake visas and get turned back at the immigration check at the international airport.

Maria was invited for interview at the US embassy but came out in tears. She was turned down. Asked the reason for her rejection, she said the interviewer said she looked like someone who would not return to Nigeria.

“And that’s what is very annoying. I have a good job here. I only want to spend my annual leave there and who told them that I would jettison my lucrative job here to stay in the US to be sweeping their streets. Is it not funny? You needed to have seen the people they give visas to. They reject those they should give visas to and give to those they shouldn’t. Such an irony.”

Nene went for the US visa interview with her mother. Both of them needed to travel. Her mother was travelling to visit her daughter who is Nene’s elder sister while Nene was to travel for her post-graduate. Her mother got a two-year visa but Nene was turned back. According to her, they said her reason for wanting to travel to the United States was not clear.

“Now, tell me, what is not clear about wanting to travel for my post-graduate? My elder sister is living in the US and she is a citizen and I was going with my mother to the same destination on my sister’s invitation. I was rejected and I didn’t find it funny. Although I was later asked to re-apply, the appeal is no longer there.”

For Chi-Chi, a broadcaster, there was never a problem with her obtaining a United States visa.

“I am the only one amongst my siblings living and working in Nigeria. My father, a medical doctor, and my mother are living in the US. I am a broadcaster in a Federal Government -owned broadcasting station. I travel to the United States every year to stay with my parents and siblings during my annual leave. I’m always having extended visa and I always come home. I have no desire to live permanently in the US or any other country apart from Nigeria.”

Take it to the Departure Hall

Indeed the departure hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on many occasions is like Oshodi market in full session. Nigerians in their hundreds are on their way travelling out to one country. Despite the difficulties they encounter, many still get visas to travel and if you visit the Murtala Muhammed departure hall of the international airport, you would realise for sure that Nigerians never say die. Adults and children, extended family members, groups and individual businessmen and women somehow find the way at the embassies and get their visas.

Sixty-five year-old Madam Eyiuche said she was going to France for the first time for  omugwo. Her only son who married away from home just received his first bundle of joy and Madam Eyiuche was on her way to take care of her first grandson. Although she was going alone, she had luggages including  Ghana Must Go  bags loaded with all manner of edibles from home.

“Hmmmn, my daughter, its my son that invited me. His wife had their first child and he is my only child. I must see with my eyes. If the cold weather allows me, I will stay long but if not, I will stay for two or three weeks and come back. The most important thing is to see my first grandson.”

Femi, 24, said she was travelling to UK and would not likely return to Nigeria soon. According to her, “I just finished my NYSC. I have been waiting for this moment to graduate and return to my parents and siblings. I was living in the UK before coming home for my University education. I have done it and I’m going back ‘home’.”

For Mr Edmund, “ I came to pick my wife. I just married her and we are going to Canada. That’s where I’m based and that’s where she will be based henceforth. I can’t keep living like a bachelor when I’m married.”

For Priye and Comfort, they were going to the United States for a conference.

“We’re colleagues and will be away for just 10 days.”

But Chief Inyang who was being pushed in a wheelchair said he was going for medical check-up in UK. With him was his daughter who he said would take care of him for the period.

“I cannot say how long we will stay. I’m not even sure if I will return but if I don’t, my daughter here will bring me home’”

Bundle of lies

But it is not every Nigerian that has a genuine reason to travel out. Many people believe they would be more successful if they leave the shores of Nigeria to work overseas. Many lie to gain entry into these countries. And many get repatriated when they are found to be a burden to the countries they travelled to.

Gaby had lived in the UK for ten years before he was repatriated. When immigration in UK caught him with an expired visa in a night-club, he started to act like a mad person to evade deportation and was taken to a mental institution from where he was deported to Nigeria. He has been banned from coming to UK for life. His family is still in the UK and he blamed his wife for everything that happened to him.

“The stupid woman I married sent my visa to her younger brother. He came to UK with my passport and I never got to see it again. The passport I had on me when I was arrested was gotten from Nigerian Embassy in UK but it has no visa on it . That was why I was deported and banned.”

Asked what he did in the UK for a living, he said: “Many Nigerians are daily migrating abroad in search of the proverbial greener pasture. The reasons prompting this act range from economic to sheer adventure. Interestingly, this fact has come to be accepted as the inevitable fallout of the country’s dwindling fortunes. In Nigeria here, I worked in a bank with my OND certificate but in UK, I did odd jobs but made more money. When things became very tough, my wife and I started having marital problems and started to fight. We had two kids in UK and based on that, the British government started taking care of my wife and kids and since my deportation, my wife has looked the other way.

“Living in the UK is different. You can do anything to survive. Many are there doing drugs. Some married foreigners to get residency permit. You’d see brothers marrying sisters just to remain there. Fathers even marry their daughters just to keep each other especially if one has gotten a residency permit. One of my wife’s friends is a citizen and was paid a huge sum to marry someone who desperately wanted to come and live in the UK.

The man paid to marry her just to get a British visa because she has a British passport having lived in the UK for several years. The lady had to come home to Nigeria to marry this guy who was already married but their marriage was just a scheme. The scheme was that her ‘supposed husband,’ after having been duly granted permission to live in the UK, would divorce her and go back to his real wife. But scams like this have put many in trouble . In my own case, I suspect that my wife sold my visa but lied she gave to her brother. But I am deported and she is not. She is living her life in the UK and even got a scholarship to study in one of the Universities.”

According to Gaby, “if Nigeria was good enough, do you think people would travel out?The system here sucks.  Why won’t people leave?  I just laugh when people say Nigeria is good. This country needs help and would become worse unless something is done as soon as possible.”

Mrs Beatrice who came home on a visit after over ten years in the United States and was travelling back said there is no basis for comparison between living in Nigeria and living in the US or any country in Europe and the United Kingdom for that matter.

“If 50% of Nigerians have the opportunity to travel out of the country just for once, I bet by the time they return home,there would be bloody revolution. Nigerians will be able to compare whichever country they visited with Nigeria and realise the difference which is so clear.

“In the US, you live without the electricity blinking for once not to talk of power failure. The road network and other social amenities could prolong one’s life. But in Nigeria,one can hardly survive three months without having malaria as a result of mosquito bites. I work from home and earn well. When you work abroad, you earn in a day or even hours, what you earn in a month doing the same job back home. Why won’t people want to leave the country in droves? Okay, in the US or the UK, the government assists their citizens in one way or the other,but what sort of assistance do people get from Nigerian government? Lets call a spade , a spade. I’m a Nigerian and I know I have no business coming back here to live again.

My children can’t come home. My visit was at the instance of my husband who lost his sister. We went to the US through the Green Card Visa Lottery. It’s a different world and even though home is haven like they say but my sister, its a different world from where I come from.

That is why you find so many not wanting to return home. Something has to happen to Nigeria. I was shocked by the level of suffering I saw at home. So much suffering, poverty and the worst is the level of insecurity. I stayed one month in the village and had to alter my looks. I had only two pairs of jean trousers for the one month and two ankara clothes . I had to cut my hair to look ordinary and not attract attention and I don’t think that is fair. I work hard over there and you come back and live in fear of being robbed or even murdered by people who didn’t know what you passed through to get what you have. It is fearful.”

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