Nigeria reports attempted ‘visa racketeering’ at WMA Perth worlds

Generic Nigerian track picture ran with story.

Last September, some Nigerians wanted to go to Australia – and not come back. At least nine guys or gals noticed Perth worlds and entered the meet to gain visas. It apparently didn’t work, because WMA checked with Nigeria’s masters affiliate. (See the story.) But NAM was embarrassed. We forgive you. Now we learn: “The Nigerian Athletics Masters has fixed May for the first All Nigerian Athletics Masters Championships scheduled for Lagos among its other activities for 2017. … The 10th African Masters Athletics Championships scheduled for Aug. 23 to Aug. 27 in Abidjan, Cote d’Iviore, is among the activities highlighted by NAM for the year.” No visas required for Nigerian nationals. Great to see our African friends stepping up to the game. But do something with your website, guys.

Here’s the story in case the link goes buh-bye.

Lagos – The Nigeria Athletics Masters (NAM) has frowned at its being used for visa racketeering by some unscrupulous individuals to secure Australian visa.

The Secretary of NAM, Uruemu Adu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that some people who posed as members of the association registered for the 2016 World Athletics Masters without due process.

“NAM seriously frowns at visa racketeering, people want to use the name of association to travel out and not come back.

“Some people wrote to the Australian Embassy seeking visa to attend the World Masters without the national body’s knowledge. It was the world body that notified us.

“These people are not even our members. If you want to compete internationally, the right thing to do is to first register with the national body,” he said.

NAM reports that the 2016 World Athletics Masters is scheduled for Oct. 26 to Nov. 6 in Perth, Australia, and no fewer than 4,000 athletes are expected to participate.

Adu said that the body was notified by the World Athletics Masters to confirm the names of the nine Masters athletes who wanted an Australian visa to attend the competition.

He said that the situation was an embarrassment to NAM, adding that registration for affiliation was not up to N10,000 yearly.

“These people posing as masters’ athletes wanted the easy way out; they should know that if they are truly interested in the competition that there should be a national body.

“If they are scared of the registration, they should have made enquiry,” he added, saying that going directly to the world body without our knowledge is an embarrassment.