NOT YET UHURU FOR NIGERIAN PASSPORT IN ASIA

Since his return to power on May 29, 1999, President Olusegun
Obasanjo has worked tirelessly to restore Nigeria's dignity in the
international arena. The nation's integrity had been eroded following
a long period of military dictatorship.

In the course of this campaign, the president had travelled far and
wide around appealing to foreign investors, many of whom had left the
country, to return. He had also pleaded for Nigeria's debt relief.

The president's effort had, to a large extent yielded the desired
result with about 60 per cent relief granted and 12.4 billion dollars
paid up to enable Nigeria have a final exit from the dragnet of the
Paris Club of creditors early this year.

Also within the last seven years, the Obasanjo administration was
able to attract huge investments especially in the oil and gas sector
where more than two billion dollars were invested to further boost
the development of that sector.

However, one area that appears to have refused to benefit from the
gains of the reform agenda of the federal government is the
perception of Nigeria on the international scene.

Many Nigerian youths have flocked out of the country in search of
greener pastures only to end up in criminal activities that tarnish
the nation's image.

Only recently, the House of Representatives dismissed a motion
seeking clemency for a convicted Nigerian, a footballer in far away
Singapore, who later ventured into drug business. He was caught,
convicted and sentenced to death in line with the laws of that country.

Drug peddling attracts capital punishment in Singapore with no
options of fine. And so visitors into that country are warned not to
get involved as the notices are boldly written in red at the airports
and visitors' entry documents. As hard as it may appear, the killing
of the Nigerian and the refusal of the National Assembly to render a
helping hand to save his life, gave honour to the country for not
appearing to condone dealings in hard drugs.

Also recently, the British High Commissioner in Nigeria, Mr Richard
Gozney, said there were 350 Nigerians including women who are serving
sentences for drugs-related offences in UK prisons.

He said many of them would soon be repatriated to serve their
sentences at home.

Gozney also revealed that by next year, all applicants for British
visas would be required to appear in person to provide their
fingerprints. He said the new system was aimed at assisting security
operatives to track down criminals and subsequently stop them from
entering the UK.

Although a transit rather than a major hard drug supplier nation,
efforts by Nigerian authorities to curb drug movements had seen quite
a good number of couriers slip through the nation's porous borders.

Unlike Singapore, Nigerian laws do not prescribe the death penalty.
But the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the nation's
watchdog on drugs and related offences, is collaborating with its
counterparts worldwide to check and arrest global drug movement.

The defeat of that motion in the House of Representatives was without
fanfare and hinged on the fact that death for drug pushers was
legitimate law in Singapore. Singaporean authorities, however;
welcomed the development on belief that it would help stem the
increasing number of Nigerians involved in hard drugs offences.

Because of her "no visa policy" for citizens of Commonwealth
countries including Nigerians, Singapore experiences influx visitors.
Her entry ports are under very strict surveillance to check the
excesses adventurers who might try to beat immigration and customs
officials to smuggle in drugs.

Notwithstanding the effort by the federal government to restore the
dignity and pride of the Nigerian passport in the world, it is not
yet Uhuru for the green document in most Asian countries. This is no
thanks to the involvement of many Nigerians in hard drug offences.

"Singapore is bad news for drug pushers. They all know this, but
somehow, they take chances. They take risks because of the
anticipated high turnover when they successfully cross the ports
without being caught," a Nigerian consular officer in an Asian
country said.

According to him, the unfortunate attitude of some Nigerians in Asia
had gone a long way to tarnishing not only the image of the country
throughout that continent, but had diminished the stature of
Nigerians passing through Asia by land, air and or sea ports.

A group of eight Nigerian officials travelling ahead of President
Olusegun Obasanjo on his recent visit to Japan and Singapore were
amazed that their passports attracted greater scrutiny by immigration
officials.

Their story that they were part of the president's delegation to
Japan did not impress the customs and immigration officials who had
insisted on checking the passports thoroughly. The security officials
also demanded for a national identity or any other identification
card alongside the passports.