Ex-US Envoy Denied National Visa

Romoke W. Ahmad and Abdulkadir Badsha Mukhtar

18 May 2011

Former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, who was to visit Nigeria for the graduation ceremony of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, might have failed to secure Nigerian visa due to some immigration issues, an official of the Foreign Affairs Ministry said yesterday.

Speaking with Daily Trust in Abuja, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Martin Uhomoibhi, said “it might likely be an immigration problem as there are immigration rules covering visa issuance.”

Campbell is a member of the governing board of the AUN, which was set up by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and was supposed to be at the institution’s third graduation ceremony.

The former US envoy was critical of the Nigerian government and wrote several articles of current political happenings in Nigeria. Only recently he wrote that the 2011 elections were marred by rigging done at collation centres.

Although Uhomoibhi claimed not be aware of the visa denial to the former US envoy, he said “every country has its immigration rules and regulations for issuing visa and are giving or denying based on those regulations. I believe if it is true he was denied visa may be he needed to rectify some issues but I cannot say what rule or regulation he didn’t meet up before he was denied.”

A source close to the US Embassy in Nigeria, who craved for anonymity, said our reporter should channel her enquiries to the Nigerian embassy in the US.

Commenting on the matter, an Immigration top official said the service has no hand in issuing entry visa to the ex-US diplomat. “It is the responsibility of the Foreign Affairs Ministry,” he said.

“Immigration has an office only in New York. We don’t have office in Washington. The one in New York will issue visa to businessmen from US to Nigeria, but for politicians and diplomats they get it from Washington, which is handled by Foreign Affairs ministry.”

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