Many Nigerians in Italy are suffering due to delays in issuance of passport- NUNAI President
Oru Leonard
The National Union of Nigerians Associations in Italy (NUNAI), President, Rowland Ndukuba has said that many Nigerians in Italy are suffering due to delays in issuance of passport
Mr Ndukuba said this during a telephone chat recently with the News Dot Africa Correspondent who wanted to confirm an earlier media report on NUNAI’s appeal to FG for passport booklets.
Nigerians living in Italy under the auspices of NUNAI had appealed to the Federal Government for the regular supply of international passport booklets to the Nigerian mission in Italy to enable citizens to renew their passports.
NUNAI President said the open letter which was directed to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Interior and the Controller-General of Immigration, inorder to highlight the life threatening hardship many Nigerians in Italy are passing through on the inability to renew their passports.
“Our appeal has become necessary as a lot of Nigerians are being stopped from their various jobs because they are unable to present a valid passport to renew their working contract and their residency to stay in Italy.
“Many have lost their jobs, a lot can not send their children to school, even free of movement becomes a serious issue. We are begging the Federal Government of NIgeria to save thousands of Nigerians living in Italy, he lamented.
He expressed NUNAI’s gratitude to the ambassador His Excellency Abam and Embassy officials.
“In the first 95 days in office, over a 1200 Nigerians were captured. The embassy in collaboration with the national union NUNAI and the task force from Nigeria touched over six communities. From north, south and center. It’s important to note that Embassy is doing it’s best, what we need to boast is it’s effort by sending us the numbers.
“NUNAI is working closely with the embassy to bring into our country some investors in different areas that will boast our national economy.
By next year we will be having for the first time a Nigerian national day in Italy”, noted.
He also suggested that a consulate should be created at the centre of Italy as the region has the highest number with over 15,632 out of the 117,358 NIgerians living in Italy, adding that about 35,000 are not documented.
