US TRAVEL BAN – Ugo Nwaokoro responds to Atiku’s Statement on Buhari & US Visa Ban

 

Hon. Ugochukwu Nwaokoro, former Deputy Mayor, Newark, New Jersey. USA.

Hon Ugochukwu Nwaokoro, former Deputy Mayor  of Newark, New Jersey, USA responds to Atiku  Abubakar on his recent statement on the US travel ban of Nigeria.

 

Below is Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s comment on the US travel ban on Nigeria. My response to him follows right after!

I received with sadness the policy of the government of the United States of America to place Nigeria on its travel ban list.

While I understand the reasons given by the Trump administration (the failure of the Muhammadu Buhari led administration to share information and to address issues of terrorism), the ban does not take into account the pro-American sentiments of the Nigerian public and the solidarity previous Nigerian administrations have had with the United States.

I urge the government of President Donald Trump to consider the history of US-Nigerian relationships. Nigeria was one of the few African nations that joined the US-led coalition during Operation Desert Storm between 1990-1991 when the United States championed the liberation of Kuwait.

The Trump administration may also consider the pivotal role Nigeria, in partnership with the US, played in bringing peace to Liberia, an American sphere of influence, that now enjoys democracy because Nigerian blood and money paved the way for peace in that nation.

Nigeria has also consistently voted in support of the United States and her allies at the United Nations and other multilateral world bodies. This is even as we are perhaps the biggest trading partner that the United States has in Africa, even where we had alternatives.

Nigerians love the United States and have been a major force for the positive development of that great nation: 77% of all Black doctors in the United States are Nigerians. Nigerians are also the most educated immigrant community in America bar none. Surely, the US stands to benefit if it allows open borders with a country like Nigeria that is able to provide skilled, hardworking and dedicated personnel in a two-way traffic.

The current Nigerian administration may have its deficiencies and deep faults, but the Nigeria people ought not to be punished for their inefficiencies.

Once again, I call on President Trump to consider adopting measures that individually target those in government who have failed in their duties, rather than target the entire Nigerian population.

– Alhaji Atiku Abubakar*
Nigeria’s former Vice President (1999-2007)
01-02-2020

 

With all due respect to Vice President Atiku Abubakar, his article only makes the case for the travel ban and the reasons why the US not only keep the travel ban in place, but the US should make the ban tougher.

The US had to institute this travel ban against Nigeria, because of the good relationship it has with Nigeria and the expectation the US has for Nigeria, which Nigeria had woefully failed to leave up to. The USA should leave the travel ban against Nigeria in place, so that Nigerians, especially the Nigerian government officials would stay in Nigeria to fix Nigeria and make look and function like the USA and other places that they like to visit. It is not fair to Americans, Europeans, Diaspora Nigerians and other foreigners who want to visit Nigeria, but cannot, because of insecurity of life and property, the lack of basic amenities, incessant violations of basic human rights by the Nigerian law enforcement agents.

Foreigners and Diaspora Nigerians take a huge risk anytime They travel to Nigeria and try to move around in Nigeria, starting from the moment you arrive in Nigeria. God forbid they get involved in an accident in Nigeria, which hospital will they be taking to? And by which roads? It is not fair to the poor masses in Nigeria that Nigerian elites and government officials have a safety net to escape to the USA, for medical checkups and treatments while the poor masses do not have access to ordinary clinic.

It is absurd for the Vice President to argue that , because, Nigeria votes for the USA at the UN and supports the US allies that US should open her borders for Nigerian elites to travel the USA for little things that they could have in Nigeria if only the government would do the right thing with the right vision.

It is shameful for a high level government official of Nigeria like the Vice President to say to Nigerians love USA so much that they contribute positively to the development of USA. At what cost is this so called contribution of Nigeria to the USA? I guess Nigerians love the USA that they would abandon the development of Nigeria for the betterment and development of the USA?

It is troubling and ill-informed for the Vice President to openly write about the high percentage of Nigerian professionals that are making positive contributions in the USA . Without remorse, the Vice President pointed how America benefits from Nigerian skilled labor force and how America stands to lose this skilled work force if the travel ban continues. This is a skilled work force that should have been contributing and making positive impacts in Nigeria, if only the Vice President and his colleagues in government would do the right thing. Is the Vice President happy that Nigeria is drained of her skilled work force for the benefits of America and the Western world?

I applaud President Trump and the government of the USA for placing this traveling ban on Nigeria, maybe those in the Nigerian government would start thinking of Nigeria first and begin building and developing Nigeria, knowing there is no more safety net in the USA or EUROPE to go for medical checkups and treatments. Let the ban be a lesson to Nigerian elites that their ability to travel to the USA and other countries is purely in the hands of the government of those countries that they want to travel to.

If Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Nigerian officials do not know how to fix Nigeria to be functional enough to the point where Nigerians would not want to travel out of Nigeria, they should step aside and let those know how take over, governance and leadership are not for every body.

Americans, especially Nigerians and other Diaspora Africans want to be able to travel to Nigeria as much as Nigerians want to travel to the USA now. Our African American brothers and sisters want to travel to Nigeria to rediscover themselves and reconnect to their heritage. Unfortunately, they cannot do that, because of the poor conditions in Nigeria.

If Nigerians, especially those in government want to travel to the USA, they should make Nigeria safe enough that Americans can reciprocate with travels to Nigeria, knowing that they are safe. Then, the US government would lift the ban and Nigerians can travel to the USA as much as they want, even without visa, I bet you, the Nigerians would no longer see the need to travel to the USA. Why should they? Everything would be in Nigeria functioning as should!

Written for the love of my country,
…..


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Ugochukwu Nwaokoro was a Deputy Mayor of the City Of Newark, New Jersey. USA. He has hosted and/or participated in many fora and Projects focused mainly  on the improvement of living and governance standards of and for the people of Africa’s Homeland and the diaspora. His upcoming book,  “Living in Self Inflicted Bondage, the Nigerian Experience” is a big eye opener and would perhaps, someday, serve as the “Bible of Governmental Re-Organization” all across Africa and beyond as it shares different ingenious ideas to help improve governmental structures and governance among various ailing African governmental set ups.

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