Ugochi OkoroBy Ugochi Okoro
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has expressed gratitude to the British High Commission and the Government of the United Kingdom for granting the request by the President General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, for the establishment of a Visa Office in Enugu, the headquarters of the South-East of Nigeria.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, said the request for a visa office in Enugu was made during the courtesy visit of the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr. Richard Montgomery, at the National Secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu on 27 June 2023.
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The statement said that the Igbo leader had after the kola nut ceremony, emphasized that the southeast zone accounted for over 60 per cent of Nigerians travelling to the United Kingdom on a daily basis. He therefore wondered the rationale for subjecting the Igbo to the inconvenience of traveling to Abuja or Lagos to obtain their UK visas.
He seized the occasion to highlight the longstanding relationship between the South East of Nigeria and the United Kingdom which spanned religious education and culture, citing the role of the Church Missionary Society (CMS), a Scottish religious body that arrived in Onitsha for evangelism in 1857.
Iwuanyanwu reminded the High Commissioner that there was a British Council in Enugu and expressed surprise that the Office was closed without sufficient reason.
He assured the High Commissioner that a Visa Office in Enugu will promote bilateral collaborations that will enhance the growth and sustainable development of the southeast region’s economy.
The statement noted that Chief Iwuanyanwu, could not withhold his joy when he learnt of the new development.
The British High Commission in Nigeria on Monday announced the opening of a new temporary submission centre for UK visas in Enugu State beginning on 13 September 2023.
The UK diplomatic office statement said: “The facility will operate out of the Omedel Luxury Hotel, 4/6 Link Road off Pascal and Jerk Bus stop, Independence Layout, Enugu and will offer twice-a-week services in the interim.”
Iwuanyanwu urged the people of the South East to avail themselves of the opportunities the Visa Office has provided, adding that the current global dynamics call for a consistent exchange of values between the UK and Nigerians.
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