It is quite sad and annoying to see Nigerian been exploited in Malaysia by the Acting High Commissioner in Nigeria Embassy in Malaysia, Mrs. Janet Bessong Odeka. Ordinary Nigerians here in Malaysia are paying heavily for issuance of new Nigerian Passport and lost passport. After paying $60 for the official fee charged for new passport, helpless Nigerians are forced to pay another $50 which the embassy call service charge. And they impose a payment $ 250 on lost passport and another $50 for service charge of lost passport. Based on the information gathered, findings informed that this $50 dollar collected as service charge for new and old passport and $ 250 collected is solely for Mrs. Janet Bessong Odeka to spend and it belongs to her. On average Nigerian Embassy in Malaysia issue 100 passports every month given the high population of Nigeria leaving in Malaysia and the Embassy covers Nigerians living in Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and so on. For lost passport they have 40 cases on average ever month. Findings revealed that apart from $60 the official service that goes into the Federal Government of Nigeria account, the other charges is embezzled by Mrs. Janet Bessong Odeka.
The majority of Nigerians in Malaysia are students, some of them lecturers who came for postgraduate study with their wife and children. Imagine a family of 7 (husband and wife and 6 children) will spend $ 420 (that is $ 60 x 7) and another $ 350 (that is $ 50 x 7) and this $ 350 is for Mrs. Janet Bessong Odeka in every passport issued. This family will spend $ 770 to collect new Nigerian passports.
Why should Nigerian be enslaved by these civil servants? With all the benefits given to them by the government? They are still collecting hard earn money of ordinary Nigerian in this Asian country? It is a very sad and shameful situation. This issue needs to be addressed as soon as possible by the respective authority in order to assist ordinary Nigerians and to stop this high level corruption that is going on in Malaysia under Mrs. Janet Bessong Odeka.
Thank you.
Godfrey is a PhD candidate in one of Malaysian Public University.