Stories By Rahman Ismail
Since the Omicron variant started, governments around the world have started to tighten controls that mainly affect unvaccinated persons and persons traveling from high-risk areas.
Based on the recent report of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), that nearly 337 infection cases with the Omicron variant have been registered in a total of 21 European Union and European Economic Area countries, Nigerians in Diaspora have started to be wary over the possible outcome of the new disease on the economy of their respective countries where they are making ends means.
However, from a total of 21 EU/EEA countries, Denmark registered the highest rate of Omicron infection cases. The country authorities confirmed 83 cases of Omicron infection. Hence, our reporter spoken with a beautiful Nigerian Nollywood star actress, residing in Denmark, Phinadon to share her view on the new disease and it’s possible impact on their wellbeing, “the news of another pandemic or what have you is unbearable for us. All we need at the moment is God’s mercy we can’t imagine facing another lock down of businesses, as any lock down at the moment is tantamount to lock down of people’s lives.
“We are yet to recover from the toll taken from us by Covid pandemic, we were locked down for months and now that we are crawling to bounce back another disease appear to truncate the whole struggle, God! we can’t bear this anymore please have mercy. Denmark now records highest cases of omicron in the world, it’s so pathetic but I know government in this part of the world are responsive and responsible I’m sure they will curb the menace as soon as possible,” Phinadon said optimistically.
In the roll according to ECDC report, after Denmark, Portugal has 37 cases, the Netherlands 36 cases, France 32 cases, and Norway 29 cases.
The report also identified other Schengen countries that have cases of Omicron infection are:
Austria (15), Belgium (14), Croatia (3), Czechia (2), Estonia (6), Finland (9), Germany (15), Greece (3), Iceland (12), as well as Italy (11), Latvia (2), Romania (2), Liechtenstein (1), Ireland (1), Sweden (13), and Spain (11).
ECDC previously stressed that it is likely that in the coming weeks, the effectiveness of travel-related measures will mark a significant decline, and territories should prepare for a rapid and measured de-escalation of these measures.
Nigerian-American Naval Officer, Afolabi shares wealth of experience in travel history
Mr Afolabi, a Nigerian, not only based in United State Of America but a significant figure in the realm of security sector of the country’s economy.
Afoh, as Afolabi is fondly called by his buddies back in Nigeria could be described as an economic guru, being a Lagos State University graduate of economics.
The Ogun State-born Nigerian-American held the bull by the horn in the foreign land by competing favorably with the white race counterparts in holding the sway in Security Specialist with US Navy.
In this piece, our Travel And Tourism Editor, Rahman Ismail engaged Afolabi where the latter, spills the beans on issues and techniques surrounding Visa interview. Afolabi scrutinizing the “pros and cons”, the “dos and don’t” before, during and after Visa interview with the consulars. Excerpts…
Background Check
Making reference to your questions, I am gonna start with the first one “visa interview”- for the record, my name is Afolabi, residing in United State of America, State of Virginia to be precise. I am from Ogun State Nigeria.
I migrated to the state in 2013. Basically I came here to run my master Degree program but I had to halt the proceed due to financial constraint because it’s quite expensive and I’m a self-sponsored. That’s what actually informed the idea of putting a hold to the program to enable me working and gather some fund for any possible proceed.
Visa Interview
There are different type of visa interview e.g fiancé visa, conference visa, studying visa, visiting visa, tourism visa and so on. Basically, you just got to be prepared. I have been telling people especially those that sought for my advice in securing visa to abroad not even necessarily USA, it could be any country of the world first criteria you need is to identify what you want.
Now, talking from experience, if you’re going for study, make adequate research about the school you’re planning to study in. Get all your documents ready and once again, be well prepared.
I said be prepared because remember you gonna meet someone (interviewer) who’s struggling to understand your English’ accent. You might be speaking well but due to the deficiency of original English accent he or she may be hearing different thing so you have to be explicit, accurate, clear and confidence. Let him or her understands that you know what you’re saying, look straight into his/her eyes and make body gesture don’t just talk and assume he/she understands you.
Even if he misinterprets a word due to accent deficiency, your body language can quickly pass the message to your advantage. Be free and calm as if you’re delivering lecture but must be short and straight forward.
Like I said earlier, do a lot of research about the school you wanna attend. Do your research about what you’re going there to do. Don’t base your research on the school alone, do research about other schools, because they might ask you out of all schools in USA, why the choice of the school you chosen. You have to convince them reason why that particular school is your choice-it could base on your budget as you found the school cheaper compare to others, it could base on it proximity to the address of your relation where you wanna stay throughout the time of studying, it could be the fact that the school has in the history produced best students in that particular course of study and so on. Just Be Prepared.
Avoid Story
In whatever Visa interview you’re doing don’t tell too much story, just be brief with fact and focus they don’t need story because you ain’t the only one to be interviewed.
Praise Your Country
There is this very important aspect of the interview I want people to take note of-please praise your country while being interviewing, don’t paint your country black in front of your interviewer. If you do, the interviewer will look at you and be wondering why are you so desperate after all this is where you’ve been living for the past 20, 30, 40yrs or what have you and you survive even though everybody knows that the country is not helping, (because we in Diaspora read a lot of stories on net though some are fake news but we trust some).
However, you must praise your country and respect where you’re going that’s interviewer’s country. Let him or her quickly read it in your expression that you respect his or her country’s culture, laws and everything about them.
Spiritual
Above all things, put God first before you go for the interview, while you’re there and when you leave the scene. Remember that the interviewer might not be the one to determine your visa, he/she is probably going to pen down some point for recommendations or not. Your documents would be married with what you said, they will juxtapose them and make decision because they have standard of what they actually want. So that’s where you need prayer
Experience at the Airport
When I was leaving Nigeria, I really don’t have much bitter experience at the airport. One just have to be careful of what you processed in your luggage-we are all aware of the pros and the vices everywhere. Although, even if you didn’t possess any contraband some officers would still want to extort you because they know you’re leaving them for good, (smiles).
But in my own case, when I was leaving, I do not take huge luggage along with me, I only have some pairs of clothes and shoes and my prayer mat couples with my copy of Quran and rosary. You know some of those officers are Hausa and they are Muslim, they are like, oh! You actually have your Quran here and prayer mat then we exchange pleasantries and they let go of me thou I tipped some guys there out of my own volition but they really don’t have much interest in digging deep into my luggage and stuffs.
Experience at USA Airport
Please my friend permit me to skip this segment although I had some ugly and beautiful experience at the USA airport which could have been hitherto linked with me holding Nigerian Visa but as a security personnel not all beans worth spilling. Hope you understand me? So I am sorry that’s all for now. Thanks!
IATA urges countries to repeal travel bans
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged the governments to rescind travel bans that have been imposed due to the Coronavirus’ Omicron variant.
Since the Omicron variant started to spread in other countries widely, governments have reimposed their preventive measures, such as travel bans and other restrictions, to halt the virus’s further spread. However, such measures are being criticized by many organizations and authorities.
Recently, the World Health Organization has called on the governments to find alternative ways in their fight against the Coronavirus and its new strains, instead of imposing bans and other restrictions.
“Blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread, and they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods. In addition, they can adversely impact global health efforts during a pandemic by disincentivizing countries to report and share epidemiological and sequencing data,” the statement published by the World Health Organization reads.
In addition, WHO stressed that all countries should ensure that the measures are updated, taking into account the epidemiological situation in other territories.
IATA urged world governments to follow WHO’s call and rescind travel bans.
“After nearly two years with Coronavius, we know a lot about the virus and the inability of travel restrictions to control its spread.
But the discovery of the Omicron variant induced instant amnesia on governments which implemented knee-jerk restrictions in complete contravention of advice from the WHO,” IATA’s Director-General, Willie Walsh, pointed out in this regard.
The association has also called on the governments to reconsider all the measures imposed to stop the further spread of the virus. IATA has stressed that it is unacceptable that rushed decisions have caused fear and uncertainty among travellers.
