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REPORTERS
DIARY
Journeying
from Africa to Australia could be an adventure, but for Nigerians
the adventure could stretch to a nightmare as the country's authorities
have issued a high alert on Nigerians. By seun Akioye, Melbourne
Australia.
"Put down your
luggage, open it, and throw everything down. Remove your shoes and
step this way," The cold voice commanded. In a minute, several immigration
officers surrounded me, a babble of questions followed, throwing
me in a spate of confusion. They led me to a portion of the immigration
office where I sat down painfully on the sofa provided for me. Several
thoughts were racing through my mind as I watched with disbelief.
One after the other immigration officers came into the waiting room,
one cursory look at me and then they quickly retreated into the
cubicle that served them as the office. After ten minutes of painful
and agonizing delay, one of the officers came out wearing a most
frightening look.
"Do you have
any other form of identification on you, may be your driving license…"
he queried. "My International passport is the highest form of identification
I can produce, so I see no reason why you will need my driving license"
I retorted. But after a long argument, I produced my office Identity,
this he took inside and I could sense the photocopying machines
working almost immediately, I saw the shadows of men running around
the tiny office, I saw files being opened and then closed again.
Then, I heard
murmurings, voices speaking for and against, and before I could
put my thoughts together a tall lanky but ruddy man stepped forward.
He appeared somewhat like a harmless drop of rainfall but his appearance
betrayed his inside, for his utterance was as a breeze ruffling
the surface of the lake. "You will now tell me what brought you
to Melbourne" My interrogator, Brian March commanded. At first I
was hesitated because I could not understand the motive behind such
question, but it was not too long before I told him that my mission
in Melbourne was simple: I came as a participant at the World Conference
on Health Promotion and Health Education organized by the International
Union on Health Promotion and Health Education (IUHPE). I told him
how I had a week earlier stood before the world congress to make
my presentation, I told him of my activities throughout my two weeks
stay in the capital city of Australia. March was totally unimpressed.
He feigned ignorance of the conference that attracted 3000 participants
all over the world. "I never heard about the conference, I don't
know anything about it and if there was such thing I must know about
it", he said. "Well, it could be that you were out of office last
week or you went on leave" I retorted. An argument ensued again
and I had to prove I had been at the conference.
The pictures
nametags, and some souvenirs I took from the conference became instant
alibi and with that March left to return about 15 minutes later.
By now his countenance had changed. He put up some broad smile.
"Mr. Akioye, I am sorry for the delay and interview" "Interrogation"
I corrected "I am sorry for all that we have subjected you to, but
we have a high alert on Nigerian travelers. I just have to make
sure you are who you claim to be. But I am satisfied today that
I have the honor of talking to the first Nigerian who is one hundred
percent genuine." I went on to correct the impression that all Nigerians
are criminals. He agreed. " Absolutely, I am telling you this in
total honesty, I have had to deal with Nigerians and have personally
sent a few of them to jail, we see them coming in but never coming
out. But I have never seen a Nigerian like you who is leaving on
his own accord. I left him a thoroughly shaken Nigerian. Actually,
I had been a subject of suspicion at major immigration blocks as
I made my way into Australia to attend the World Conference.
I never would
have believed the extent of damage that has been done to the image
of Nigeria outside the shores of this country. The first salvo was
fired at the Dubai airport as I connected another flight to Singapore.
On presentation of my passport I was asked to step aside for special
searching and interview. The same incident was to repeat itself
in Singapore. However, the greatest shock awaited my arrival at
the Melbourne international airport. I was made to undergo over
two hours of intense scrutiny and cross-examination. I had to answer
multiple questions like "What was my mission in Australia, how did
I get the money to travel there, what do I do every morning in Nigeria,
where and how d id I get my visa, how many dependents do I have,
when was the last time I saw cocaine etc" My luggage was thoroughly
searched for incriminating documents and drugs and I had to explain
the origin and purpose of every document found on me. I was made
to undergo a frisk search as I was suspected of carrying cocaine
into the country.
Even, the currency
collection on me became an object of suspicion. At the end, I was
told to leave the country as soon as my visa expires. The Nigerians
I found in Australia are mostly law abiding and not run away. According
t o I. Saley, the consular officer at the Nigerian Embassy in Canberra
the problem started when participants at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
defected in the country. , He said "Australian authorities are generally
known to be very strict to foreigners especially Nigerians visiting
Australia, and this is because right from the 2000 Sydney Olympics
where those Nigerians who came to participate at the sporting event,
decided to unilaterally remained in the country illegally up till
date, other Nigerians who come here disguising themselves as officials
of Rotary International and under other pretexts stay put in the
Country without proper documentations." He sounded a note of warning,
Nigerians visiting Australia must be sure of the correctness of
their documents.
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