Visa free entry to Nigeria is a reckless threat to our sovereignty – says HURIWA

The leading civil Rights advocacy group – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has demanded to know from president Muhammadu Buhari whether his new order allowing all Africans to visit Nigeria without VISA from January next year was what he meant when he told All Progressives Congress (APC) recently that since this was his last tenure in office so he can afford to be reckless.

HURIWA said the interrogatory is anchored on the indubitable fact that throwing our airports wide open to all Africans to visit without the necessary VISA requirements will not only undermine national security but will mark the end of the sovereignty of Nigeria. The Rights group reminded the Federal government that what the Country should be doung is to strenghten border security rather to to let in all manner of people from all over Africa just as the Rights group wondered whether this was the attempt to introduce RUGA programme for the benefits of Fulanis from other parts of Africa. It has therefore asked the Nigerian government to perish the idea since the greatest percentage of Nigerians are opposed to it. 

In a statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the Media Affairs Director Miss. Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA affirmed that the policy will witness an avalanche all sorts of criminal elements and foreign mercenaries who can easily be recruited by evil minded persons within the country to destabilize Nigeria. “This is even a Country that for ten years has not been able to defeat a ragtag armed Islamic terror group of Boko haram terrorists.  How can the government just ask all Africans including the Good, the bad and the ugly to visit Nigeria without VISA requirements when there is no strategy on hot to overcome the security and health implications to Nigerians?”

“We are afraid that this ill-conceived policy of terminating the sovereignty of Nigeria at the altar of opportunism would allow for the coming of all sorts of people into Nigeria who may even introduce strange health emergencies that could wipe out some communities in Nigeria. The essence of sovereignty is for the nation to be able to professionally determine how to accept visitors who are useful to us or not. Allowing all Africans to visit without security checks is a breach of section 14 of the constitution that states thus: “(1) The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a State based on the principles of democracy and social justice. (2) It is hereby, accordingly, declared that: (a) sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government through this Constitution derives all its powers and authority; (b) the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government: and (c) the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.”

HURIWA recalled that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) said the Federal Government has approved that all Africans could come to Nigeria without visa from January 2020.

The Comptroller General, NIS, Mr. Muhammad Babandede, disclosed this at the inauguration of the Africa–Frontex Intelligence Community (AFIC) on Wednesday in Abuja.

HURIWA dismissed this plan as a danger signal to the security and stability of Nigeria and must be nullified.