The United States Mission in Nigeria says Nigeria is not currently part of the pilot visa bond programme. The Trump administration had introduced a new temporary policy issued to discourage nationals of some countries with higher visa overstay rate. Under the new policy, visitors to the US from such countries may have to pay up to $15,000 in bonds. The visa bond pilot programme is said to target mostly African countries with high visa overstay — the visitors are believed to have entered the country legally on student, tourist, work visas and then stay past their visa expiration date. According to data from the DHS, almost 30,000 Nigerians overstayed their B1/B2 visas in 2018, ranking as the 5th country with the most visa overstays in the US. This makes Nigeria the African country with the most visa overstays. In 2019, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) had reported that Nigeria might be affected by the move of the Trump administration to check the tide of countries whose immigrants overstay their visas at relatively high rates. On Monday, the US government announced that it had introduced the visa bond pilot programme for B-1 visas (for business travellers) and B-2 visas (for tourists). It said the pilot program mewill run for six months. There have been concerns that Nigeria may be affected by the policy. But in a statement on Tuesday, the US mission in Nigeria said the most populous black nation on earth will not be affected by the policy. “In response to the April 2019 Presidential Memorandum on Combating High Nonimmigrant Overstay Rates, the Department and our embassies and consulates overseas conducted an in-depth analysis to identify and address root causes of overstays,” the statement read. “Among other efforts to address this challenge, the State Department is considering additional steps to address overstays, including piloting a limited visa bonds program to test, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the operational feasibility of posting, processing, and discharging visa bonds as means to ensure the timely departure from the United States of certain travelers. Accordingly, the State Department will begin a limited six-month visa bond pilot program beginning on December 24, 2020. “We are committed to combating visa overstays and making sure travelers to the United States respect our laws. The implementation of this pilot builds on our engagement with foreign governments in recent years and will ensure continued progress to reduce overstay rates. Nigeria is not included in this six months pilot program.”

…confirms Code of Conduct Bureau nominees The Senate on Tuesday approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for a refund of N148,141,969,161.24 to Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Osun and Ondo State Governments for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government. The approval was sequel to the consideration of a report by the Committee on Local and Foreign Debts Chaired by Senator Clifford Ordia (PDP – Edo Central). Ordia in his presentation stated that most of the Federal highways in the beneficiary states where said projects were executed “were at a deplorable state before the intervention of the state governments.” According to him, “series of visits were carried out by the Federal Ministry it Works and Housing on all Federal Roads completed by the States and ascertained that the quality off work done met the required standard.” The lawmaker, however, noted that states like Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa and Ondo States embarked on the highway projects execution as far back as 2005 to date. He added that while the State Governments have completed all projects, as well as paid all contractors, the Federal Bureau of Procurement on its part certified that due process was followed accordingly. Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday confirmed the nomination of Barr. Benedict Umeano (Anambra – South East); Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma (Edo-South South); and CP. Olayinka Babatunde Balogun Rtd (Ogun – South West) as Members of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). The confirmation of the nominees followed the consideration of the report of the Senate on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions. In a related development, the upper chamber on Tuesday referred President Buhari’s request seeking the confirmation of nominees to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Tribunal to its Committee on Trade and Investment. The nominees who are expected to appear for screening before the Committee include: Mrs Sadatu Mama Shafi, Chairman (North Central); George Chukwuma Mbonu, Member (South East); Barr. Thomas E. Okosun (South South); Umar Dauda Duhu (North East); Ibrahim El-Yakubu (North West); Mrs Sola Salako Ajulo (South West); and Kenneth Tersoo Gyado (North Central).

The federal government has said a minimum of N500 billion is needed annually for the next three years to complete 711 projects on road infrastructure in the country. The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola made this known during an interactive session with newsmen on Tuesday, in Abuja. Fashion said of the 35, 000 kilometres network of roads expected to be constructed, work was already on-going on over 13, 000 kilometres. He said the federal government was working assiduously to complete projects abandoned by successive governments spanning over 12 years. “I think that a minimum of half a trillion every year over the next two, three years would be a strong support to really advance and complete as many as the 711 contracts we have,” the minister said. “In terms of the percentage of roads done in the current budget, it depends on how you want to report. If you want to report cash side of government it will be about 75 percent because we have received only third quarter release and that is 75 percent. “But if you want to measure actual work done, we have done more than 100 percent. That may look strange to you so let me explain. You see, construction companies often times do more work than we actually budgeted for them. So we end up owing them. “Sometimes if you budget N1 the construction company will do N5 work. That is why we are owing more than what is in the budget. “We have done a national survey of all the bridges and the maintenance and rehabilitation schedule is now from the worst to the best. “So we’re starting from those that are really in critical condition like, Tambuwal bridge, Eko bridge, the third mainland bridge, Marine bridge, Chanchangi bridge and even the old Niger bridge is constantly maintained. “On Benin-Lokoja, we have one road but five contractors. So, the totality of these are 711 and the total road network now under construction or rehabilitation is a little over 13, 000km in different stages of repairs out of the total federal road network of 35, 000km,” he added.

The Coalition of 19 Northern States presidents of the Students Union Government has issued a one-week ultimatum to both the Nigerian government and ASUU to resolve its problem with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) or else it takes to the streets and make them their classes. They stated this at a press conference in Kano on Tuesday where they read the outcome of an earlier meeting of the coalition they had in Jigawa state. Addressing the conference on behalf of the coalition, Sadi Garba Sa’id of the Bayero University Kano said “The coalition has unanimously agreed on the review of the ASUU demands. The coalition is giving both parties ultimatum of one week to resolve themselves or else we the Nigerian students will move to the roads and make them our classes” They further stated that they will not accept any hike in the registration fees while calling on the government to waive the fees because of the pandemic which has caused economic devastations. “The coalition will not tolerate any form of hike in registration fees or the induction of tuition fees. “The government should waive registration because of the pandemic which has seriously affected the economic status of students, parents and guardians,” they declared. The coalition also called for a review of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) age limit as the lingering ASUU strike might have affected the chances of some of the students to participate in the scheme. “NYSC age limitation should be revised owing to the fact that the ASUU lingering strike and COVID-19 pandemic may have crippled some students’ chances of participating in the scheme,” they demanded. The coalition further condemned the alarming rate of rape and kidnapping cases across the country and therefore called for prompt action by the government. They also demand that education should be given priority in the country for which they called on the government to also provide quality education in primary and secondary schools as well not only the tertiary. The coalition further called for the introduction of skills acquisition and internship programs to the students of tertiary institutions across Nigeria while they also called for transparency in respect of federal and state scholarship schemes. [AFP]