contributing to the economy, though somewhat unwillingly part 1

Okay; three stories, one thread.

Nigerian visa - Story 1:

I'm in Africa, doing work in three countries - Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Congo (also checking in our orphanage, with Nel and Jason).

I should have got my Nigerian visa while still in Canada - but it was going to take three weeks and by the time I started I didn't have the more than two months required to get the three visas, and I could get the Burkina visa at the Burkina airport, so.....

Several weeks ago, the Burkina office sent their 23 year office veteran to find out if I could get a Nigerian visa in Burkina - 'yes, I could'. 'Phew', sigh of relief. I got the Congo visa, and left for Burkina.

Tuesday I arrived at the Nigerian Embassy in Burkina to apply for that visa and was told, 'No, I couldn't'. I needed to be a resident of Burkina to get a Nigerian visa in Burkina....BUT, you can get a visa for Nigeria from countries bordering Nigeria, even if you're not a resident of those countries. Okaaay... it's not 'no', but there's a lot of steps yet - no sigh of relief yet. We booked a flight to Benin - one of the intermediate points to get to Nigeria anyways. A phone call to the Benin visa office informed us that I could get the Benin visa at the Benin (Cotenou) airport.

I arrived at the Benin airport at 3:00 AM! and was told 'No, I couldn't'. I would have to turn around, go back to Burkina, get the Benin visa and come back. Well, I said 'no, I wouldn't'. Actually, what I said was that this wouldn't work because I needed to be at the Nigerian Embassy later that morning(Thursday, today) to apply for the Nigerian visa.

The three customs officials argued, one wanting to help me, another not, a third quiet. Back and forth - at least five times - 'we can't help you, you have to go back'. And, in reply, the same five times 'but I HAVE TO get the Nigerian visa tomorrow', and stayed where I was - not stubbornly, just 'waitingly'. Phone calls to superiors, shaking of heads, arguments (not with me - amongst themselves), and finally 'if you stay here till 5:00 someone will come who can give you a visa.' phew', small sigh of anticipated relief.

Okay, I'll wait - started reading Albert Memmi's 'Decolonization and the Decolonized'.

At 5:25 I'm approached by the policeman who didn't want to help me, my passport in hand, visa inside - everything was in order. Phew, sigh of relief. He took me to my hotel free of charge. I thanked him, and he said it wasn't easy.

Oh, I forgot to mention - this cost me several times the usual visa fee.


'The corruption ranges from the policeman....all the way up to large importers... who pay dividends to bureaucrats to obtain import licences'. Albert Memmi, page 8.