The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has condemned the practice of requesting N10,000 non-refundable charges for Nigerians seeking visa clearance to certain countries, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The caucus, in a statement on Thursday, signed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, representing Delta State, stated that it was not against any genuine visa clearance measures, especially those placed to curb drug trafficking and other criminal tendencies.
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He, however, expressed concerns about policies such as fees, that tend to place undue pressure on innocent citizens.
The minority caucus urged the NDLEA to take steps that would lead to an immediate review of the non-refundable fee to an affordable amount.
The group urged the agency to adequately sensitise Nigerians on the issue.
The caucus stated that this was expedient as the contentious fee is reported to be at the behest of the source countries and not the NDLEA and the Nigerian government.
It urged Nigerians to remain calm and focused on the collective global fight against trafficking in illicit drugs and other drug-related criminality.
