A delegation of Nigerian telecoms officials aiming to travel to SA to forge new business ties has had to call off its trip after being denied travel visas.
Top-level delegates from the Nigerian Communications Commission and the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (Atcon) had intended to visit SA to participate in the ITWeb Broadband 2010 conference this week.
Atcon president Titi Omo-Ettu said in a statement that the delegates' attempts to secure visas had been frustrated at every turn. Some had been denied visas altogether, and one was given a visa allowing him entry to SA after the end of the scheduled event.
Omo-Ettu said: “All stories reviewed, it read like the South African Embassy was out to frustrate our being in SA. It is amazing how a system is designed to appear as it did to us. But I recall that our marketing for this project had met with almost all our members who had experiences with the South African Embassy warning me on these issues and predicting this outcome of events.
“I thought we should ignore such references and marched on, even if only to have a first-hand experience. As events unfolded, I learnt to believe the stories.
“For me it has been a wonderful experience of how a system works so perfectly to discourage business. I am stunned and I wish I knew why an embassy would work this way.”
Despite several attempts, the South African Embassy could not be reached for comment.
Share
