News
UK visa ban on students families not targeted at Nigerians – British envoy
UK visa ban on students families not targeted at Nigerians – British envoy
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, has said the UK’s new policy restricting visas for families of foreign students is not targeted at Nigerians.
He spoke with NAN on Sunday, saying the policy was aimed at managing the pressure on social services in the UK.
In May, the UK Home Office announced that from January 2024, foreign students will no longer be allowed to take their dependents along with them to the country.
The ban affects all master’s students and some other postgraduates, but will not apply to PhD students who are highly skilled and whose courses last between three and five years.
Montgomery urged Nigerians to see the new visa regime in a bigger context, saying it is “really a positive for Nigeria and the United Kingdom”.
“Three years ago, there were 20,000 Nigerian students in British higher education institutions, and last year, the number increased to 127,000,” Montgomery said.
“So, we had a five-fold increase in the number of students from Nigeria coming to UK universities.
“We are delighted that UK universities continue to attract the best and brightest from Nigeria.
“And in the wider context, last year, the UK granted three million new UK visas of various types including students and other visitors.”
He said more than ten percent of the three million visas issued by the UK last year went to Nigerian students.
“Nigerians alone received 325,000 of those three million visas,” he said.
“So more than 10 percent of the visas from the UK are to Nigerian citizens which is fantastic.
“It goes back to the fact that the UK and Nigeria have strong people-to-people links.
The policy change is about people who are doing non-research degrees coming to the UK as undergraduates, or for a one-year master’s degree programme, and who decide to bring their dependents.”
He said the UK has seen a significant rise in the number of people coming into the country from all over the world, which he said has led to a strain on the country’s amenities.
“We have had a very significant rise in the number of people coming from all around the world, not just from Nigeria,” Montgomery said.
“This has caused some strain on the UK.
“Sometimes it is difficult to find good accommodation as a student and there is real pressure on housing and social services for students.
“If you looked at it three years ago, only 1,500 dependents of students were coming to the UK from Nigeria, but it was 52,000 last year.
“I am just trying to put it in proper context, that this is an adjustment.
“The words that are being used in the media to describe the situation are misrepresenting. We are making an adjustment that enables us to manage the demands on services in university towns and elsewhere.
“Nigerians are very successful in acquiring visas. We have a 97 percent approval rate and so that is the big context,” Montgomery said.
He said the country’s higher institutions are very open to students coming to study in the UK.
He expressed the belief that Nigerians stand to gain massively from the international exposure and international networks offered by studying in the UK.
News
Investigation of wanted businesswoman Achimugu not linked with Atiku, Sanwo-Olu – EFCC
Investigation of wanted businesswoman Achimugu not linked with Atiku, Sanwo-Olu – EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has reacted to media reports linking its investigations of Ms. Aisha Achimugu with political undercurrents involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu
This is contained in a statement by the commission on Friday night.
The statement read, “We wish to state unequivocally that the investigations of Achimugu have no correlation of any kind with the two political actors. She is being investigated for alleged criminal conspiracy and money laundering and has since been declared Wanted by the Commission”.
The EFCC started investigating Achimugu in 2022. Although she approached the court to obtain an injunction restraining the Commission from arresting, investigating, inviting or detaining her for any alleged criminal act, the injunction was challenged and vacated on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The court ruled that “…no court has the power to stop the investigative powers of the Police or EFCC or any agency established under our laws to investigate crimes when there is reasonable suspicion of commission of a crime or ample evidence of commission of an offence by a suspect.”
“The court further upheld the interim order of forfeiture of assets of Achimugu suspected to be proceeds of crime, dismissing her suit against it as lacking merit .
“The foregoing clearly establishes that the EFCC’s case against her has no immediate or remote nexus with any politician or any veiled or open reference to any political engagement or transaction.
“The EFCC is non-partisan and non-sectarian. We enjoin the public to continue to keep faith with the professionalism of the Commission without imputing any extraneous consideration to its works.”
News
Why governors’ forum is silent on Rivers emergency, by DG
Why governors’ forum is silent on Rivers emergency, by DG
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) yesterday attributed its neutral position on the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State to the need to steer clear of taking positions that may alienate members with varying political interests.
Taking positions on contentious partisan issues, the NGF said, would not augur well for it, especially in view of its past experience in fundamental division.
Notwithstanding, the declaration of the state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu yesterday generated more kudos and knocks from across the country.
Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Senator Basheer Lado, said the action of the president was meant to ensure protection of lives and restoration of law and order in the state, while the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said his principal was required to “avert needless harm and destruction .”
National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, said Tinubu, by his action, cleared what had manifested as a constitutional crisis in Rivers state.
But former President Goodluck Jonathan saw it from a different perspective.
READ ALSO:
- Senate didn’t get 2\3 majority for Tinubu emergency rule in Rivers –Tambuwal
- FG destroys another 200 containers of expired drugs
- Rivers court bars woman from answering ex-husband’s name
He described “abuse of office and power by the three arms of government in the country“ as a dent on Nigeria’s image.
The NGF, in a statement by its Director General Abdulateef Shittu, said it is essentially “an umbrella body for sub-national governments to promote unified policy positions and collaborate with relevant stakeholders in pursuit of sustainable socio-economic growth and the well-being of the people.”
It added: “As a technical and policy hub comprising governors elected on different platforms, the body elects to steer clear of taking positions that may alienate members with varying political interests.
“In whatever language it is written, taking positions on contentious partisan issues would mean a poor sense of history — just a few years after the forum survived a fundamental division following political differences among its members.
“Regardless, the Forum is reputed for its bold positions on governance and general policy matters of profound consequences, such as wages, taxes, education and universal healthcare, among others.”
It asked for “the understanding of the public and the media, confident that appropriate platforms and crisis management mechanisms would take care of any such issues.”
Why governors’ forum is silent on Rivers emergency, by DG
News
Rivers: Tinubu acted to save state, economy, says Karimi
Rivers: Tinubu acted to save state, economy, says Karimi
Chairman of the Senate Services Sunday Karimi has hailed President Bola Tinubu for the decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State.
He told reporters on Friday in Abuja that the President acted in the best interest of the State and Nigeria, having taken his decision in compliance with the Constitution.
“No President or government worth a name, will fold its arms and watch a political situation deteriorate to what we saw unfolding in Rivers State.
“We saw that bombing of pipelines had begun, and the security situation was getting worse with the tension everywhere”, Karimi stated.
Karimi, who represents Kogi-West on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), recalled the “fatherly role” Tinubu had played in the crisis since 2023 in a bid to get the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara to reach an understanding, to no avail.
He explained: “We were all here in 2023 when Mr President called that truce meeting at the Aso Rock Villa. There was the eight-point agenda for settlement reached between the factions.
“When Nigerians expected that progress should be made to achieve peace, things started deteriorating considerably to a point where the governor demolished the House of Assembly building and administered the state with only three legislators.”
READ ALSO:
- Oluwo accuses Ooni of plotting to dethrone him
- Natasha: Court blocks recall attempt, stops INEC
- US ends legal status for 500,000 immigrants
Karimi observed that with the recent judgment of the Supreme Court, which gave the upper hand to the 27 lawmakers loyal to the camp of the FCT Minister, matters merely got worse in the State as the lawmakers were set to impeach the Governor.
“What did you expect would be the implications? There would have been more destruction, killings and economic losses for the country.
“With the bombings that had already started, it was a matter of time before the whole state would be engulfed in flames. No responsible President would sit, arms folded, and allow that to happen “ he added.
The senator further argued that it took “painstaking efforts” by the administration to raise daily crude oil production to around 1,800 barrels, noting that Nigeria’s economy was already “witnessing a rebound under the renewed hope projects of the government.”
“Allowing the situation in Rivers to get worse before he would act, wouldn’t have helped the state or Nigeria as a country in any way.
“Mr. President intervened at the right time, and his actions are covered by law,” he said.
Karimi also spoke on the emergency declaration in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and a couple of other states by former President Goodluck Jonathan without removing the Governors from office or suspending the state assemblies.
According to him, the case with those States was not generated by political crises but rather security concerns.
“So, I will advise those comparing the two scenarios to remember that one was purely about security threats resulting from the insurgency caused by Boko Haram, while that of Rivers is clearly political.
“It was the proper thing to do to suspend the political actors in the two factions to allow for tensions to diffuse. Nigerians should appreciate the President for the action he has taken so far,” he stated.
Sen. Karimi also noted that there was no cause for alarm as the National Assembly had indicated that the emergency rule could be reviewed as soon as there were signs that things could quickly normalise in Rivers State.
Rivers: Tinubu acted to save state, economy, says Karimi
-
Uncategorized10 hours agoBreaking: Moon sighted in Saudi, UAE, others, Eid-Fitr holds Sunday
-
metro3 days agoRivers administrator Ibas fires Fubara’s political appointees
-
metro3 days agoJUST-IN: Ex-Oyo gov Ajimobi’s first child Bisola dies At 42
-
metro3 days agoFG declares public holidays for Eid-el-Fitr
-
metro2 days agoEFCC re-arraigns son of ex-PDP chairman for alleged N2.2bn oil subsidy fraud
-
Africa3 days agoNiger coup leader sworn in as president for five years
-
metro3 days agoNatasha: Murray-Bruce slams Atiku, defends Akpabio
-
International3 days agoAI will replace doctors, teachers, others in 10 years – Bill Gates