Surprise at Consulate of Nigeria New York Passport Office!

by Paul I. Adujie

Just when you thought there is nothing to write home about, then, there is!
You will not believe what happened at the consulate of Nigeria in New York, last month, on Wednesday, August 26, 2009! The day was ruined, as far as assumed public knowledge or familiarity with laxity and lack of work ethic among certain public officials was concerned. Those who service Nigeria at various diplomatic missions or outposts have frequently been reported to be experts at treating Nigerian citizens with utmost levity.

I needed to make a quick trip to Canada, a country which shares a common border in the northern part of the United States and my home state of New York, which is more like traveling from Lagos to Ogun state or from Maiduguri, Borno state into Chad Republic. It is a very local trip, but the law is the law and the formalities of international travel has to be followed, even though it is at time so inconvenient in our hurried over-schedules and lives in North America.

Life in New York City can be quick and busily hectic; this frequently means needful things have to be prioritized and some other equally needful things may fall below over-schedule radars and left untouched. And so it goes that my passport expired and I never felt the pressure to renew my old faithful Nigerian passport, despite my knowledge of its expiration. Then I had to be in Canada on a fly; and my procrastination met its match! I cannot cross the border from my home state of New York into Canada without a definitional certainty of my nationality, which is Nigeria, my homeland. Despite haven lived in the United States for decades, my nationality has remained Nigerian, part, happenstance, and part, the deliberate choices I made since arriving at my economic refugee camp here in the United States. I have as yet to do the usual summersaults or taken the victory lap, American passport in hand

Most Nigerians are quick to tell anyone who would listen, the lamentations, and the dread often associated with visiting and interacting with Nigerian bureaucrats. Some Nigerians would actually insists, that Nigerian bureaucrats abroad, are a little bit more disdainful of Nigerians, than the bureaucrats at home, bureaucrats, disdainful of Nigerian citizens, who may commit the unforgivable sin of requiring anything, resembling the provision of public service to Nigerian citizens.

With these historical burdens in my mind, I proceeded to the Consulate of Nigeria in New York situate on the grounds of that green glass mammoth edifice known as the Nigeria House at 828 on Second Avenue.

Ever the optimist, I deliberately relegated any seeping concerns to the bottom pit of my stomach. I mulled over the anticipation of what could be my seething rage, if my day is consumed in waste without the renewal which I sought coupled with the possibility that my people would wound up treating me in truculent manner which I never allow, in non-Nigerian environments or entities.

The schedule time during which the Passport Office section operates is 10:00AM. And as is my practice with appointments, I arrived at least twenty minutes ahead of schedule, factoring, transportation bottlenecks etc. The passport officer arrived two minutes before schedule 10:00AM opening and in resplendent hunter-green Nigerian attire. His Nigerian attired pleased me. One of the many qualities for which I admired Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and my other sister, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, Dr. Dora Akunyili then of NAFDAC, they are policy wonks in their own unsurpassed rights, and they wowed me with their cultural ambassadorship, with their ever resplendent African attires.

Well, Mr. Passport Officer arrived and surprised me with his “good morning all” He greeted, good morning all! Sat was my turn. I did not have the requisite paperwork or the publicly available information. And I was frankly embarrassed upon being confronted with my lack of preparations! I never would approach any other diplomatic mission or high commission of other countries without calling or visiting their websites to ascertain their requirements and I quietly embarrassed that I did not research my visit to the Consulate of Nigeria, before I actually embarked on the trip there! And now even as I write this, I wonder how many Nigerians visit our diplomatic mission without adequate preparation as to what might be required of them. There are forms, money, procedures and other basic necessities common with these sorts of processes, with Nigeria and other nations. I also have to wonder now, what roles this lack of preparation or knowledge of requirements probably plays in familiar frictions between officials and recipients of services.

In my particular case, the facts of consulate general New York website was known to me and I could have gleaned the details of passport renewals before marching audaciously to the consulate for my renewal. Additionally, when I deal with government departments or agencies, of the United States and or other nations, I usually ensure that I know and have necessary information at my finger tips. And as I routine matter, I do so, for work related or personal contacts or interactions with private entities, corporate for profits or not for profit organizations. In hindsight, I wondered why I did not think it fit, to conduct due diligence, which is my routine and universal approach and precautionary standard outlook?

I was ill-prepared, but he made me comfortable and the entire process took less than three minutes! I was ill-prepared to the extent that I was unfamiliar with the new processes which require a download or print of passport forms from the Consular Internet Website, and be ready with the prescribed fees etc. I was completely ignorant of the required necessities to obtain a new passport or what it entailed to renew an old one. I was completely at the mercy of my passport officers for my ignorance.

The process began in most orderly manner. Upon arrival, guests are required to pick a number and mine was 82, and I worried. There are 82 persons ahead of me? I was quietly nervous upon believing that I was spending the rest of the day at 822 Second Avenue which would have ruined my schedule for the day’s other activities.

Now, I am face to face with the officials, Mr. Bello Osagie, the guy in Nigerian attire called me, and I quickly confessed my ignorance, and lack of due diligence and proceeded to ask him, what I must do to correct lax preparation and still ensure that my mission to renew my passport and to soon after embark on my quick hop to Canada is not aborted. I was scheduled to travel in a matter of days. Mr. Bello assured me that I could renew my passport that day same day, so long as I quickly complete the forms, and accompany it with the stipulated money order, and he gave me the forms, forms which applicants were supposed to download and print on their own, this I failed, and neglected to do, out of my ignorance and to my peril! Well, I rushed out to get the money order, then, submitted it with the completed forms, all in a few minutes. And I was told to return in the afternoon between 2:30PM and 3:00PM

Upon arrival, in the afternoon, I was soon joined by numerous other clients who returned to collect new or renewed passports. There was no one present. And some clients were already grumbling; Complaints about 2:30PM is past and where are the officials? I was quietly concerned myself. And yet, I politely urged patience, because we all know that sometimes, lunch break comes with glitches and snafus, and that could possibly be the same case with the passport office folks. I also reminded others, how the service in the morning was smooth. Jokingly, I also intoned that some Nigerians who spent overnight at the American Embassy or arrived at 3:00AM and spent the whole day in a bid for American visa, are now the same persons now, too quick and too eager to blame Nigerian officials for two minutes lateness! And as it turned out, Ms. Damole or Damolekun merely went upstairs to fetch the newl

y issued or renewed passports, and it turned out that the folks at the passport office section of the consulate of Nigeria, had not gone on some frolic for fun. They were upstairs for a mere couple of minutes to fetch our ready passports.

Both Mrs. Comfort Damolekun and Mr. Bello Osagie were epitome of strictly business attitude (passport officers)? and security operatives at the entrance to the consulate were on the same page as if they all read a script or memo which they are following; and dotting each i and crossing each. Everyone who I interacted with behaved as if they were deliberately and calculatingly announcing to me that the Consulate of Nigeria in New York is under new management. They were efficient, effective and very businesslike.

To my surprise and delight, my visit to the consulate of Nigeria was seamless and painless and briefest encounter with this consulate and any branch of the strata and levels of our government. This speaks volumes, positively, of the current unassuming technocrat at the helms of our consulate, Consulate General Anwal Ibrahim He is obviously very competent and seasoned, and a superb administrator it, who knows keenly, competent persons to delegate to carry out key component of consular tasks, among other things, such as being Nigeria’s public face, for culture, for tourism and travels to Nigeria and for sorely needed investments and sundry interactions between the diverse peoples of Nigeria and the rest of the wide world. While at the consulate, I had a chanced but brief encounter with Professor Joy Ugwu, Nigeria’s ambassador to the United Nations, who I saw last in Canada, while she was foreign minister. Again, she as well looked resplendent in her culturally appropriate Nigerian attires.

All said and done, we all received excellent service deserving of a five star rating and I enthusiastically offer the Consulate General of Nigeria and his entire staff, and in particular, the Passport Officers, thunderous applause for very efficient and effective delivery of service and a superb representation of Nigeria. The Consulate General and his staff exemplified and epitomized all the excellent things we Nigerians are able to accomplish when we set our minds to national tasks. Bravo for making Nigeria proud!

Consulate of Nigeria New York on the Web: http://www.nigeriahouse.com/

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14 comments

A Hilliard June 26, 2011 - 6:47 pm

My problem is , I applied for my tourist visa to Nigeria, and it’s been two weeks now. I have been trying to reach the Consulate in Atlanta for a week. but that ia useless. It took three hours for this very rude lady to answer the phone, and when she transferred, I only et voicemails. I have been leaving messages, however no returned calls. I have also been leaving emails, and still nothing. I consider this unprofessional. I sent all the required documents, everything they asked, they have my money, passport, and I can’t even get a live person. I am to be leaving on the 16th of July. and I need to know my status. I’m getting worried, can anybody tell me what I need to do, so I can ease my mind. Thank you.

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'Bunmi Damole June 19, 2011 - 10:24 pm

Thank you so much Mr Adujie for this wonderful article which has helped me in linking my father,Mr.Victor Damole with his old primary school mate (from Kings Gate,London), Mr. Owen Finnegan after over half a century!

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'Bunmi June 19, 2011 - 10:06 pm

Hello Mr Owen Finnegan. I just saw this article and your post and got very excited cause my Dad is your friend you’ve been looking for all this while. I told him about your post and he is very, very excited- he said he just thought of you recently!I only had to mention your first name and he remembered your surname immediately.He said you both went to Kings Gate.It is absolutely wonderful for you both to reconnect after all these years-over half a century!Please, do send me an e-mail at bunmi78d@yahoo.com and I will send you his details so you both can hook up. I am really so excited. Yours sincerely, ‘Bunmi L. Damole.

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mutiat March 20, 2011 - 2:27 pm

I went to the embassy with the thinking that i would be there for hours but i went prepared and my being there took all of probably an hour. The passport officers were nice and even cracking jokes. Since that experience, i have told people that the embassy has changed.

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J. Jobs February 12, 2011 - 3:32 pm

This article is nonsense I just visted the nigerian embassy at the same location and the service was horrible. If you have never been to a wild village market, go to the nigerian embassy, a bunch of crooks. As an African American Women marrying a nigeria was the best decision, visting the country amazing going to nigeria embassy hell. The price of marrying a nigerian man, I hope the shut down this emabassy and employ competent nigeria american….

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Owen Finnegan December 7, 2010 - 12:30 pm

Sir(s),

I hope you can indulge me, as my request doesn’t really have much to do with your article, which was very good………you mentioned a ‘Ms Damole’. I have been searching for a Victor Damole, my best friend in Junior school in London, whom I saw last in 1955(!), before he returned with his family to his birthplace, Jamaica. We lost contact. Now I live in Los Angeles, Ca.. Victor’s father was a diplomat with the Jamaican government. If you could kindly give me any pertinent information, I would appreciate it so much.

Thank you for your time.

Faithfully,

Owen V.Finnegan.

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VICTOR DAMOLE March 27, 2015 - 5:37 am

OWEN. THIS VICTOR DAMOLE. PLEASE CONTACT ME.

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nnenne October 14, 2010 - 11:35 am

Nigerian government don’t value us Nigerians that’s why they allow idiots and incompetent fools to represent them. It,s a shame!

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Olu June 30, 2010 - 10:33 pm

Very eloquent but I can only assume that the people you met knew of your accolades so they treated you more professionally… I had quite the opposite experience at the Nigeria House. I got yelled at by the same passport officers because the same Mr Bello Osagie told me to return on another day. [I had paid for and prepared adequately for a change of name on my passport to reflect the married name. I had all the correct documents that day! I tried to reschedule my appointment online but since I couldnt get any time off my job for the given interview date– I decided to make the 2.5 hr trip to the consulate anyway since I had all the correct paperwork]. The man wouldn’t even listen to me and told me bluntly that driving 2.5 hrs was no excuse to not come back despite all the correct paperwork. I was quite upset but I was able to talk to another higher official and reasoned with him. The whole experience made me feel that unless you know someone, you may not get the service you need, I was also yelled at like a child.

I know alot of other african countries e.g. Ghana that wouldn’t keep some people like that on staff at their embassies. I hope we get better!

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Hamed April 26, 2010 - 4:59 pm

Good Job? Yes.

But hey.. that’s their job!

worthy of praise? probably

so they get encouraged to perform even better!

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ajani November 10, 2009 - 6:21 pm

I just read this today 11/10/09 and to be honest, this the first time ever I have read something positive about any Nigeria Consulate any where. Now that I’m aware I can get good people to attend to me at NY consulate office, I will not need to have my kids go to Lagos with their expired passport as they did last August. Keep it up the good work at the Consulate and we shall sing your praises to the people at Broad Street, Lagos, at Garki Abuja, at Onitsha Market, at Aba, at Dugbe, at Oshodi and Mile II as well as Sabo in Kano and Kaduna. well done

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Cletus E. Olebunne September 29, 2009 - 9:42 pm

Paul: Surprised because you expected the contrary. The low expectations is why we don’t get what we want as we keep on settling for poor quality. Things go well in the presence of good and quality customer service. The most important thing in your article is that you owned up to your ill-preparedness and your ignorance to the situation. Some other persons my not see their lackings and make the situation difficult for both customers and service providers. Life is much easier when people see their own faults first.

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adew September 28, 2009 - 1:35 am

Paul, thanks so much for taking the effort to applaud the professionalism of those staffers at New York. Their job is not an easy one with poor funding and other issues but still, some of them make me proud of their excellence even in the face of adversity. Please, I urge all authors on NIA to keep critiquing issues at home but not forget the good work some of our officials do. God bless Nigeria!

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Friday Akpan September 26, 2009 - 10:22 pm

You have done a nice job for commending and praising whom praises due.This means Nigrians are not what people think they are.I know Yorubas like to praise on good job.I’m akwaibomite.arrived Jan @ Memphis .

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