The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has raised concerns over reported non-refundable N10,000 special charges on Nigerians seeking Visa Clearance to certain countries, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The caucus in a statement by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu (PDP Delta) on Thursday, said it is not against any genuine Visa Clearance measures, especially those placed to curb drug trafficking and other criminal tendencies, but is concerned about policies such as fees, that tend to place undue pressure on innocent citizens.
The Minority caucus, in response to the apprehensions and anxieties raised by Nigerians, therefore urges the NDLEA to take steps that will lead to an immediate review of the non-refundable fee to an affordable amount, while putting the measure to adequately sensitize Nigerians on the issue.
This is especially as the contentious fee is reported to be at the behest of the “source countries” and not NDLEA and Nigeria.
The caucus urges Nigerians to remain calm and focused in the collective global fight against trafficking in illicit drugs and other drug-related criminality.
