Open letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf M. Tuggar, from Nigerian students in Iran
On behalf of over 200 Nigerian Students studying at different levels of education in the Islamic Republic of Iran in particular, and the entire Nigerians under the accreditation of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Tehran in general, I wholeheartedly congratulate you for your deserved appointment as the Minister for Foreign Affairs by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR); and to also intimate you for urgent intervention on the need for Passport Intervention Exercise (Biometric Capturing) for those whose passport has expired, missing, damaged, or fresh applicants in case of minors.
Sir, I am appealing to you to critically look into our predicaments and act swiftly by mobilising all necessary resources in collaboration with other relevant ministries and parastatals to ensure an amicable and lasting solution to this matter which is necessitated by the absence of designated Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) officials at the Nigerian embassy in Tehran, which has concurrent accreditations to the Republics of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Kazakhstan.
Ambassador Tuggar may wish to note that due to the absence of designated and functional NIS Officials in the Nigerian embassy in Tehran, citizens with Nigerian nationality residing in these four countries, in general, have been facing problems that include a lack of access to health insurance and befitting medical services by resorting to patronising over the counter medics, restricted movements, and a lot of students have missed opportunities that can have long-lasting effects on their future career by not attending international conferences, summer courses, and internships in Europe, Latin America, African countries, and other neighbouring countries in Asia every year.
The most dangerous and embarrassing aspect of this problem is that recently some students began to fear the risk of deportation after spending considerable time and financial resources in pursuit of their educational goal after staying more than 12 months without valid documentation.
The Honourable Minister may also wish to note that to the best of my knowledge, the last time Nigerian citizens enjoyed Passport Intervention Exercise in Iran was about 30 months ago. Now you can imagine the number of Nigerians in need of a passport after about two and half years.
Sir, may I clearly and unambiguously state that by deciding to write this open letter is not an attempt to discredit the efforts of the Nigerian embassy in Tehran toward this end. Rather, it is a patriotic and selfless appeal to further bring to your knowledge how terrible our situation is for your office to act promptly devoid of unnecessary traditional protocols.
In light of the above, I therefore earnestly appeal to you to:
- Facilitate passport biometric capturing exercise with dispatch for all Nigerians in need without further delay to avoid a situation whereby some fellow citizens will be pushed to seek solution through illegal means in connivance with corrupt and unpatriotic officials.
- Use your good office to ensure that there exist permanent, consistent, and dedicated officials in the embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Tehran responsible for passport matters to those with legitimate demand.
In conclusion, while fervently waiting for the generous intervention of the Minster, may I use the opportunity to assure you of our readiness and availability to promote Nigeria’s just and legitimate foreign policy for inclusive growth and sustainable development as well as anything of mutual interest to both Nigeria and Iran in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Commander–in–Chief of Armed Forces and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Yours Sincerely
Abdullahi Buba
PhD Student
Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
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