Nigerian Consulate in New York dismisses maltreatment allegations

By Cecilia Ologunagba

The Consulate Overall of Nigeria in Recent York has brushed aside a tweet by one Dr Deborah Olubamiji that she became talked down on when she and her household visited the consulate to originate their passports.

Olubamiji, in a twitter address @DrOlubamiji, on June 16 alleged that she became at the Nigeria Condominium along with her household to originate their passports and so they had been talked down on.

She alleged that the workers treated them as if they didn’t matter and that she seen inconsistent processes, gradual arrival of workers and lack of empathy.

To build the records straight, the consulate in an announcement made available to newsmen, described the allegations as unfounded and wrong.

In step with the consulate, Olubamiji arrived on the 2nd floor of Nigeria Condominium on the acknowledged day within the afternoon within the company of her husband, Mr Oluwole Victor Awoyeji and her daughter, a child, and so they had been received at the window by a workers, who first processes passport candidates.

“Upon scrutinising the household’s documents presented by Awoyeji, the household became informed that funds made in recognize of the application for the renewal of passports of the 2 adults had expired because the applications had been made in March, 2022.

“It became explained to them that funds for passport applications on the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) passport application platform expire if an applicant did no longer fresh themselves for biometrics within a year of the application.

“Thereafter, Olubamiji in madden, spewed invectives at the workers of the consulate threatening to document to the President of Nigeria, whom she claimed to clutch in my thought, and build off the workers to lose their jobs.’’

At some level, the consulate explained that her husband became viewed attempting to quiet her down and within the middle of this, one more workers listening to the commotion came out of her trouble of business and beckoned to Awoyeji to acquire out became going on.

He explained the anguish to her and she or he identified that the methodology his important other became going would extra complicate reasonably than solve their anguish.

As this became going on, the Head of the immigration fragment walked into the hall and witnessed the yelling at the workers of the consulate, who, at some stage within the duration remained quiet and never responded to the insults.

The immigration officer’s intervention ensured that the household’s biometrics had been taken and she or he promised to promptly ship a verify to the NIS technical partners in Nigeria to kind out the expired rate declare.

She left for her trouble of business on one more floor of the constructing and presently after, the couple joined her. They apologised for the incident and expressed appreciation to her for intervening.

They had been also referred to the Receptionist on the identical floor, who guided them on how to reach the consulate thru the switchboard.

The consulate extra acknowledged that Olubamiji did no longer observe any workers coming gradual as when they arrived, they met workers at every desk they went to and so they had been promptly attended to.

It acknowledged that seemingly she thought that workers within the Biometrics Enrolment Room returning after lunch spoil had been appropriate reporting for the day, noting that a review of the CCTV photography on within the intervening time mercurial debunked this rotten allegation.

The consulate, on the different hand, noted that though it is a ways saddled with the responsibility of providing well-known consular companies and products, especially passports, it has limitations as technical disorders esteem those presented within the case under reference can easiest be mounted from Nigeria.

It acknowledged that If Olubamiji had proven this working out and did no longer ride the methodology she did, the wretched field would contain been avoided.

“The common public is kindly invited to demonstrate that despite the a extensive collection of challenges, the consulate Overall of Nigeria, Recent York, has been making efforts to present an environment the set aside consular companies and products could presumably presumably be supplied to candidates in a well timed, official and courteous scheme.

“It is miles well-known that with out the give a boost to and dealing out of candidates, this is also very complex to develop these noble targets.,’’ it acknowledged.

NAN