The British High Commission and the Government of the United Kingdom have been praised by the apex igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, for opening a Visa Office in Enugu, which it describes as the capital of Nigeria’s South East.
The Igbo organisation said in a statement released on Monday that this was at the request of Chief Engr. Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, MFR, OFR, CFR, (Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo), the group’s president general.
During a courtesy visit to the National Secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu on June 27, 2023, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr. Richard Montgomery, was informed of the request for a visa office by Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, the organization’s National Publicity Secretary.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo
“After the kola nut ceremony, the Igbo Leader emphasised that more than 60% of Nigerians visiting the UK each day originated from the southeast zone. Therefore, he questioned the fairness and logic of making the Igbo go to Abuja or Lagos to get their UK visas.
The Church Missionary Society (CMS), a Scottish religious organisation, arrived in Onitsha for evangelization in 1857, and Ahaejiagamba used the opportunity to highlight the longstanding relationship between the South East of Nigeria and the United Kingdom, which spanned the religious, educational, and cultural spheres.
The British Council has an office in Enugu, and Iwuanyanwu informed the High Commissioner of his surprise that it had been closed without explanation. He assured the High Commissioner that opening a Visa Office in Enugu would foster bilateral collaborations that would contribute to the southeast region’s economic growth and long-term sustainability.
The news that “the British High Commission in Nigeria has announced the opening of a new temporary submission centre for UK visas in Enugu State beginning on 13 September 2023” caused Chief Iwuanyanwu to erupt in uncontained glee. “the facility will operate out of the Omedel Luxury Hotel, 4/6 Link Road off Pascal and Jerk Bus stop, Independence Layout, Enugu and that it will offer twice-weekly services in the interim,” the British embassy announced in a statement on Monday.
In light of the current global dynamics, which calls for consistent exchange of values between the UK and Nigerians, Ahaejiagamba strongly encourages the people of the South East to take advantage of the opportunities the Visa Office has provided.
Many calls from Igbo people and organizations at home and abroad have remarked on how phenomenal Chief Iwuanyanwu’s first 100 days as President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo have been.
Source: Journalist101.com
