Posted by FRED IWENJORA on
ORDINARILY, the name, Isaac Umunna, would have been in the imprint of one of the weekly news magazines like the defunct Citizens, TheWeek or Africa Today where he had variously worked as correspondent, deputy editor and general editor respectively.
ORDINARILY, the name, Isaac Umunna, would have been in the imprint of one of the weekly news magazines like the defunct Citizens, TheWeek or Africa Today where he had variously worked as correspondent, deputy editor and general editor respectively. But recently, his name was reverberating at the Guild Hall, London, at the prestigious 2005 Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards where he was nominated and subsequently won the Best Feature Category for his story "A partnership of giants" thereby making Nigeria proud on the heels of Dele Olojede's wining of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in the U.S. for international reporting.
While his name was being mentioned for honours at the event that had the creme de la creme of world economic leaders present, Umunna was passing through hell at the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos which refused him a visa to London to be part of the event even after the organisers had procured his return flight ticket and confirmed to the Commission that they were to take care of his other expenses. Feeling disappointed, Umunna decried the latest British travelling policy in Nigeria which in recent times, has denied some notable artistes visas.
The news: "The news of the nomination came to me through a news release in London issued on June 6. In the entry form posted in the DIAGEO website, they had indicated that the entry would close on May 25. I was in our office, Africa Today on Lagos Island and opened my mail box where I saw that I was nominated for the award alongside two others, Robert Rose from Business Day, South Africa, and Jonathan Ofei Ansah of News Africa, London for the best feature category. I was excited. The person who won the category last year was a British nationale who writes for the Times of London.
The visa saga: That is a very sad story which shows the level of contempt with which staff of the British High Commission treat Nigerians who have some importance. I am not the first to be given this shock treatment. About same time, two other prominent Nigerians in their chosen fields, Sunny Neji and Ruggedman were also turned down for no good reason. I gathered that they were even insulted that they were non-starters who were looking for a way to run away from Nigeria. They were advised to go and beef up their profile first before attempting to get a UK visa. Against that background, I was not so surprised but I was shocked. With all due modesty, I have paid my dues in this industry. Apart from working for Citizens Magazine, I was deputy editor of The week.
I now work for Africa Today which is a world renowned magazine and based in the U.K. The High Commission knows the publishers very well and get copies of the magazine every time it is published. I happen to be the number four man in the magazine worldwide and my name is in the imprint. I do most of the cover stories for Africa Today. I was surprised because the organisers actually said that those shortlisted for the award would be part of the ceremonies at Guild Hall, London. I started planning to attend and the first move was for the visa. I was told to wait for an invitation letter from the organisers, Diageo in London. It took sometime to come. The organisers offered to send an invitation by internet which they did.
I put together my documents and sent the package through UPS at Toyin Street, Ikeja, to the High Commission. I had enough time between getting a visa and travelling according to the written duration for application and getting a visa. In the end, I asked the organisers to intervene and they did call the British Deputy High Commission office in Lagos after sending me a return ticket through their subsidiary in Lagos, Guinness Nigeria Plc. They wrote to them about my visa and continued to bombard them with e-mails until Friday, July 1, when a reply came that they should give the High Commission my passport number so they could trace my application which apparently was dumped. They dug it up and called on Lagos office to ask about me. They wanted to know if I really worked in Africa Today and it was confirmed.
Later that day, I got a mail forwarded to me from London and it was the Deputy High Commission saying I didn't include some personal documents required of me. I wondered what other documents when I have the requirement with me and made sure I put in everything. It sounded funny because they didn't say which document. Diageo had written to tell them they wanted me to be at the high profile event. They said they were to take care of my flight and upkeep while in London. Sadly, the tin- gods at the High Commission refused me visa.
And the winner is...The news of my winning came to me as a very big relief and shame to bad people like the musician, Daddy Showkey, would sing. The organisers in their numerous phone calls said they needed me to attend in case I won the award. About 8.30 am on Monday, July 4, I was preparing for work very dejected after having put in much to be at the award ceremony. A call came in from Anita Moran and was from the award secretariat in London. She broke the news that I won. My face lightened up and my sadness disappeared. It was quite a relief. I see it as consolation. It was like a friend of mine said after the under-20 chairperson in the Netherlands: Nigeria lost the cup but won the match. I won the cup and lost the match.
Government intervention: "It is a very big shame. I don't understand why a government that has dignity and a government that represents the world's black nations should allow a country supposed to be our mother country and supposed to care for Nigerians, treat Nigerians with so much contempt. It is as if we don't matter to the British. My case is not isolated. Sunny Neji had played for the British Council in Nigeria more than once.
At least, they should know him.
Apart from that, what is in London that I should go there to live now at my age? Even Sunny's musical career will suffer slightly if he travels because he makes a lot of money here in Nigeria. It shows that the people who work at the High Commission are ignorant or they just don't care. Maybe they derive some pleasure in humiliating Nigerians.
The Nigerian government has to really reassure Nigerians that we are still worth some respect. Nigeria really has to wake up. So I love the award and feel very happy. I see the denial of visa to me as a collective hatred for Nigerians by the whites. A few months ago, Dele Olojede won the Pulitzer Prize in the U.S and mine also being another global award, they were not happy. Thank God I won it. DIAGEO is a notable global conglomerate and the judges included men of high integrity. People like Prof K.Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary of Economic Commission for Africa, Professor Wiseman Nkhulu, Executive Secretary of NEPAD and adviser to President Mbeki, Louis Mitchel, of the European Commission and a host of other great economists. This is victory for all Nigerian journalists even though we all work under a very harsh environment.