Nigerian students undertaking various scholarship programmes in Russia have decried what they describe as cumbersome visa and immigration formalities, lamenting that the problem has affected their sojourn in the East European country.
Consequently, the students appealed to the federal government to wade in immediately to safeguard their studies and status during their study period. They urged the interior minister, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to look into the visa and passport crises rocking the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) in Abuja and the Russian capital, Moscow.
Lamenting their ordeals, one of the affected students, who spoke to journalists in Uyo, the state capital, on condition of anonymity, revealed that the situation is dire and heavily threatening their residency and academic programmes.
He explained that the Nigerian Immigration officials in Moscow advised them to return to Nigeria just to renew their passports in Abuja since the machines in the Moscow office malfunctioned.
The student recalled that, since they arrived in July, they have done everything to get their passports to return to school, but all efforts to process their documents proved abortive.
According to him, this happened after paying for express services in Abuja, including the cancellation of the earlier capture of personal information in Moscow.
“As I speak, school is in session, and I am here, a second year Master’s degree student. I am supposed to return to do my research because this is my very important year for research and thesis.
“The scholarship programme I am undergoing is a full Russian Government scholarship, and my school has been calling and asking me to send my work. With this type of problem holding me down here, my scholarship is on the line.
“Let the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Ojo, help me get the passport so I can go back and continue my studies. I have spent hundreds of thousands of naira just to come from Russia to process a passport in Nigeria and other charges, yet there are no results in sight,” he lamented.
But, the public relations officer of NIS, Abuja, Mr Ken Udo, explained that though there was a problem in the issuance of passports in their Moscow office, all issues surrounding passports and visas have been resolved.
He advised applicants to check back in the office to collect their passports.
