It’s an insult for Britain to demand 3000 pounds for visa from Nigerians – Oba Akiolu

The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, on Monday expressed sadness over the proposed 3,000 pounds deposit for visa by Nigerian travellers to the United Kingdom.
Oba Akiolu described it as a big insult to Nigeria.
Akiolu said this during the opening ceremony of a five-day workshop on Corporate Fraud, organised by the police Special Fraud Unit in collaboration with the City of London Police in Lagos.
He said: “It is unacceptable to us as a nation.
“We will not take it.
“It is a big insult on us for Britain to demand 3000 pounds before we can go to London.
“We are not criminals.”
On the corruption in the nation, the monarch said the fight was the responsibility of all Nigerians, stressing the need for the government to release the reports of some major probe on corruption, including the Halliburton scandal.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who declared the workshop opened, said that lack of strict enforcement of the law against corruption was responsible to its thriving in Nigeria.
Ekweremadu noted that only the poor were found in Nigeria’s prisons, while the rich bail themselves out to enjoy their loots.
Ekweremadu described corruption as a threat to humanity, stressing that the major effect of it was the introduction of wrong values, where some people believe in overnight wealth.
He said: “Wrong value is what corruption breeds.
“It encourages overnight millionaires, suggesting that hard work doesn’t pay.
“Some people are encouraging corruption in the society by giving chieftaincy titles and honour in churches to corrupt persons.”
The senator said that for corruption to be checked, there should be creation of jobs opportunities, good business environment for big and small businesses to strive, provision of electricity and ICT introduction for crime detection.
He noted that Nigeria cannot run a federal system of government and maintain a good police force, adding therefore, the need for law reforms and restructuring of the police and law enforcement.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, represented by DIG Peter Gana, said that Corporate Fraud was a difficult crime to prevent, stressing that the workshop will address it.
Abubakar said: “With the creation of effective policies, a system of checks and balances and physical security, a company may limit the extent to which fraud can take place.
“Corporate Fraud is considered a white collar crime and the gate keepers in the financial market can perform better if properly equipped with modern tool of prevention.”
The Commissioner in charge of the SFU, Tunde Ogunsakin, said that the workshop was an annual even by the Unit.
This year, it has the theme: Corporate Fraud: Insider Abuse in financial Institution and the Implication on developing Economy.
Ogunsaskin said that the workshop was a follow up to the last edition in 2012, expressing the hope that it will create a format for crime prevention and control in banks and other financial institution.
The British Deputy High Commissioner, Peter Cater, said that the 3000 pounds visa issue was a pilot scheme by his country, stressing that Nigeria may not be part of the country affected by the policy.
Cater said: “If Nigeria is involved, it will be just few individuals we regard as highest risk that would pay the money.
“There is no final decision yet on the matter.
“We want to continue to do business with Nigeria.
“I encourage any one interested into going to the UK to apply for visa in good time with all documentation.”