I am surprised that I have not read in any media, local or
international, about efforts by the Nigerian government to help two
Nigerian students who have been on deportation list in Canada for a
'crime' that makes mockery of the very idealsthat western societies
proud themselves on – hard work.
Victoria Ordu and Ihuoma Amadi, 20 and 21 respectively, having been
holed up in the basement of a churchin Canada – not for document
forgery. No, not for 419, internet scam or fake marriage, but for
attempting to work and earn decent stipends to augment what they get
from home.
The news media in Canada has been awash with the reports since June
2012 when the two University of Regina students took refuge in a
church hoping that the Canadian authorities will forgive them for
working in Walmart for two weeks. The issue here is that the student
visathey carry permits them to work on campus but not outside.
The students have in their various interviews stated that they stopped
the Walmart jobs immediately they became aware of the restriction. But
the Canada authorities have simply refused to budge. Maybe the
situation has lingered the way it is because of the green color of the
passport they carry.
I doubt that the Canadian authorities would have held their grounds
the way they've done for almost a year now if these two students were
Americans, Indians, Chinese or even South Africans. As one born of
Nigerian parents in the US, I have the privilege of knowing how it
feels traveling with the Nigerian passport and that of the US.
It is instructive that while Walmart that employed the students have
gone without any rebuke from the government, these two young ladies
have remained imprisoned in a church basement for more than nine
months now without knowing what day light looks like. While
immigrationauthorities accepted that Walmart had made an honest
mistake in their hiring practices, the same leniency wasn't granted to
the students.
"Walmart was given the benefit of thedoubt, while the students
weren't," said Michelle Stewart, one of the Canadians campaigning for
the release of the two Nigerians. "The most common response to this
type of infraction is a fine of $320," said Stewart.
"This is Canada, but it feels like hell for us," Ihuoma said in an
interview with CBS Canada.
"We feel forgotten here, nothing is happening at all." Friends and
well-wishers of these two students have in the last nine months
mountedpressure on the Canadian government, but not much has been
achieved. I have been involved in the social media campaign to drum
support for these innocent young Nigerians, but much as the protests
on and off line continues to grow, theCanadian authorities have
remained hard-heartened.
Canada holds strong trade relations with Nigeria and is hoping to grow
its economic presence in the country as a springboard to reach the
rest of Africa. Being Canada's largest trading partner in sub-Saharan
Africa should serve as an incentive in extracting theright government
action on diplomatic matters like this. This is the time for Nigeria
to flex some diplomatic and economic muscles. I remember when the
reclusive North Korean government arrested two US journalists and
sentenced them to 12 years imprisonment with hard labourfor illegally
entering the country.
President Obama sent former president Clinton to the country and in 24
hours those two lady journalistswere released to join their families.
Nigeria, by virtue of its economic and strategic might, can achieve
similar result when efforts are made from the top. I expect President
Jonathan's government to act now. Please save Victoria and Ihuoma from
what their lawyer has described as 'honest mistake'.
Ms Macaulay wrote in from New York
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