Hope at last for Obika in race to get family home

FORMER senator Taharqa Obika and wife and children.  PHOTO COURTESY TAHARQA OBIKA -
FORMER senator Taharqa Obika and wife and children. PHOTO COURTESY TAHARQA OBIKA -

FORMER opposition senator Taharqa Obika was in a race against time on Monday to get his family home to Trinidad and Tobago by a Friday deadline within a narrow window granted by the Ministry of National Security.

But then he faced a separate hurdle: to get a visa for his Togo-born wife to enter TT.

His previous lament on social media was highlighted by Newsday and resulted in Minister of National Security Stuart Young promising help to get all TT nationals in Africa back home if they were seeking exemptions to a border lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of covid19.

But in a social media post on Monday, Obika said that while the ministry had granted his wife an exemption, she could not get a visa. Moreover, he said, the exemption was not ongoing but rather granted one-off permission to enter TT on a specific CAL repatriation flight from Barbados on Friday at 6.55 pm.

Obika told Newsday that his wife's application to the TT mission in Abuja, Nigeria had been telephoned through to the Immigration Division in Trinidad and Tobago, where a "nameless, faceless immigration officer" said any visa approval first required a letter from the chief immigration officer to the minister of national security.

"This information is news to everyone in the process – my travel agent and officers in the mission. It is impossible for me to digest this at this eleventh hour.

"My wife is already pending permanent residency. She has completed one interview. So she has a file at Immigration.

"So a request for a visa for her to re-enter is a request that is ordinarily in order. There should be no difficulty, if there is nothing of note on her file, preventing her from getting the visa.

"So this should have been treated as a formality and an expectation by officers in immigration – only to be told the exemption she received is not final, but there is a procedure and you must get an exemption letter addressed from the chief immigration officer to the minister of national security."

Obika said when he went to pay for the CAL exemption flight, the airline indicated which flight she must catch.

"So it's not a blanket welcome back to TT whenever you have the chance. It is 'Welcome back to TT, should you be in the position to catch this particular flight on Friday evening in Grantley Adams Airport in Barbados. Wherever in the world you are – you could be in Antarctica – find yourself there!'

"Obviously you have to move heaven and earth to make sure you get it organised.

"On top of that, there is a cost to move heaven and earth, in excess of $60,000. Unless you are a business person in TT, $60,000 is not chump change and even for a business person that is money they'd notice, far less someone like me who goes to work. I have to put everything in place. After what I went through to get an exemption, there's no guarantee I can get a second one."

He said everything was lined up but the TT visa.

"I contacted the Barbados Embassy. They said no problem, she doesn't need a visa because the time she is arriving and the time she is departing is short and she can be escorted to checkout at CAL: no problem. British Airways from London: no problem. CAL from Barbados to TT: no problem.

"So the only place preventing her from coming is TT, specifically a process that only the officer who is dealing with this thing is aware of."

He said he sent a message to acting Chief Immigration Officer Derek Craigwell to explain the predicament.

Obika said he was making efforts not just to get home his wife and children, but also to help others facing similar problems from systemic issues in the application process which in its current state leaves room for mischief.

"I'm asking the acting chief immigration officer to come to the relief of citizens of TT and of me."

Minister of National Security Stuart Young told Newsday in a text on Monday, “As Mr Obika acknowledges in his social media post, his family was granted approval to enter TT in accordance with the covid19 regulations. Further, they were approved for a CAL flight to Trinidad on April 16, 2021. This fulfilled the commitment I gave some weeks ago.

"Having seen Mr Obika’s social media post that was forwarded to me, I have asked a permanent secretary at National Security to ascertain from the Immigration Division what issues, if any, there are with respect to the granting of visas for Mr Obika’s family’s entry. I trust that everything that is required to be done to facilitate the granting of the requisite visas will be done. I will monitor this situation and ensure a proper outcome.”

Craigwell told Newsday, "I would look into it. I'm not aware of the situation. I'm going to look into it."

Later, Young sent Newsday a text saying Obika's wife had got her visa.

“I have been informed that the visas for Mr Obika’s family have been issued and e-mailed in accordance with the process.”

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"Hope at last for Obika in race to get family home"

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