Facelift for UK Embassy in London soon, says Ambassador Tafida
Ambassador Dalhatu Tafida
Nigeria High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Alhaji Dalhatu Tafida has appealed to all Nigerians and other nationals visiting the Embassy daily to show understanding and patience in view of the current pervading chaos in the Embassy’s office in London.
He said the Embassy was aware of many problems that confront visitors from various part of United Kingdom to the London Office and therefore had embarked on efforts to tackle those problems.
He was a special guest of TV presenter, Kayode Akintemi last week on Black Television station, Ben TV.
Among the problem currently facing the embassy are overcrowding and slow pace of operation which are actually resulting from lack of space and staff shortage.
“We have currently submitted suggestions for a budget review for the Embassy while also planning for a main extension of operations to the North of England to shed the burden of travelling by those who live outside of London”, the Ambassador explained.
“In recent years, many of our offices across UK had been closed following a budget review and this form part of the overcrowding problems” he explained.
According to the Ambassador, London is pressing for a new office to be opened in the Northern part of England and the office would serve those living in northern England.
“There is a new reorganisation going on at the embassy which involves a minor extension and reconstruction of the Embassy’s toilet areas.
He said soon, the embassy would meet a target of about 500 crowd capacity as against the current capacity of 100 and 120 seen daily by the Embassy staff. He appealed to all to be patient and enduring.
Dr Tafida during an official engagement.
Dr Tafida said he regretted the current situation whereby many visited the Embassy without being served adding that many all visitors should draw information from the newly designed website of the Embassy before embarking on their journey.
He also spoke about his ill-equipped offices adding:“We want all visitors to be served to the best of our ability, but now, we have limited number of machines to operate with”.
He explained a situation whereby the Embassy is making do with only one machine as against the required four so that the backlog of jobs would be cleared.
Among the efforts being taken to forestall the current chaos according to Alhaji Tafida is the training of many new staff members who are to be engaged for customer’s services duties at the embassy.
He appealed to all to bear with the current situation appealing to all aggrieved people to forward their grievances either through letters to the Embassy or through online emails channels.
The High Commissioner encouraged all complaints to carry telephone numbers to enable the embassy act promptly on their complaints.
He said jokingly :“We always invited and encourage out of court settlements with all our aggrieved citizens and will implore them to please dialogue to enable the Embassy understand all their reservations. We will act promply”
He decried a situation whereby many staff members at the Embassy are cursed and abused describing such attitude as uncivilized and very crude.
“We are all humans and there are limits to human endurances”he said.
Relating articles:
http://emnnews.com/featured/new-e-passportsnigerians-in-europe-at-a-fix-over-december-deadline/
http://emnnews.com/editorial/tears-angers-and-frustrations-as-nigerians-queue-for-new-e-passport/
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Posted by Fatai Ogunribido
on 9:21 pm. Filed under Editorial.
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