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How We Spent 36 Years In Nigeria With 10-Day Visas — American Tourist Narrates
Two American tourists, Liza Gatsby, and Peter Jenkins, have recounted what led them to spend over 36 years in Nigeria instead of the 10-day transit visas that were approved for them in 1988.
The two tourists made the revelation in an interview with a content creator, David Nkwa, monitored by Punch on Wednesday.
According to them, they never planned to stay in Nigeria beyond their approved days of visitation until they saw the need to save drill monkeys in the country because they were impressed by the dominance of interesting opportunities in areas of Science and Wildlife Conservation, the roads, the hospitality of Nigerians and the living condition that appeared better compared to America in those days.
“I’ll tell you what I like about Nigerians. Okay, that’s what makes Nigeria different from every other country in Africa. They would say ‘hey! Oyinbo, come in na, sit down, make we talk. Make I go buy you drink.’ That is the difference between Nigeria and the rest of Africa.
“There were a lot of interesting opportunities in areas of Science and Wildlife Conservation that we became involved in, and we’re still here 36 years later. We arrived with a 10-day transit visa, and we have been here for 36 years.
“We founded a nonprofit organisation called Pandas that ranches monkey drills in Bano and Calabar in Cross River State. I don’t think that one species is more important than another, just like I don’t think that human beings are more important than drills or elephants are more important than whales; I think we are all of equal value, and the drill is a scarce species, it’s one of the rarest animals in Africa and it’s one of those animals you never thought you would even see when we were traveling across Africa, you know I had my Wildlife Field Guide and you look at the pictures,” Gatsby, one of the tourists said.
Speaking on why Calabar was their place of choice, Jenkins said they had done their research and that aside from Cameroon, Calabar was another place for monkey drills, stressing that no scientist or tourist had discovered that those animals were living there until 1987 when they consulted the local people in the community and got funding to make it habitable while conserving the rare species of Monkeys and other animals including girafees.
Jenkins added, “I love Nigeria, this is a great place. Come and live in Calabar and be at rest.When we got here, the population of Nigeria in the early ’90s and the late ’80s was around 65 million.
“The amount of natural resources that were still intact was extraordinary, and the density of wildlife generally in the forest was better compared to today. In fact, it’s appallingly low now, but in those days, this was a wonderful place to do research. Communities were very welcoming in those days; life was cheap; here, diesel, which is what our Land Rover ran on, was 35 Kobo, and with 29 kobo to the market, you would come back with two heavy bags with change in the pocket.
“We were comfortable and found Nigeria habitable. It was the best value country on this continent by far. The food was cheap, the road was perfect. There was no gallop deeper than a bottle cap.”
Meanwhile, Gabsty identified the lack of patriotism as the challenge facing many Nigerians while berating the growing negligence of the country’s culture, heritage, identity, music, traditional herbs, and healing.
“Nigerians don’t have pride in Nigeria’s natural heritage. I think that’s a big issue because that’s what it takes to try to make a difference. People don’t take pride in their cultural identity, language, traditional herbs, and healing.
“There was this huge wealth of knowledge when we came here on traditional healing and herbs from the forest, and that was another thing that put value on the natural resources here, but which of these old herbalists have an apprentice who is learning from them and when these old guys are gone, all that knowledge is going to be lost?
“You go to the market now; we see herbal teas and herbal cures imported from China. How do we know that those things work? What’s wrong with our traditional ones here?” She queried.
Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress, RIPCO leaders have called on Ijaw National Congress INC leaders to shun violence over the state’s political logjam.
In a video, leader of the group, Senator George Thompson Sekibo alongside other leaders addressed the press over misguided statements being made by INC leaders.
WATCH!
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15tzYS9sVr/
By Gloria Ikibah
Following an extensive probe by the the House of Representatives, Public Accounts Committee of seven oil and gas firms have committed to paying a total of $37,435,094.52 (₦58 billion) into the Federation Account by August 2025.
This resolution comes after a review of financial records from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), which exposed significant lapses in royalty payments and overall financial reconciliation within the sector.
In a statement bybthe House Spokesperson, Rep. Akin Rotimi, disclosed that the pledged repayments are part of a much larger ₦9 trillion backlog flagged in the 2021 Auditor General’s report submitted to the National Assembly. Some of these debts have accumulated over four years, further exposing gaps in Nigeria’s revenue collection process within the oil and gas industry.
Rotimi said that beyond the seven companies that have agreed to settle their debts, investigations have uncovered $1.7 billion (₦2.5 trillion) in unpaid royalties owed by 45 oil firms as of December 31, 2024.
1. Companies That Have Agreed to Pay by August 2025
The following companies have acknowledged their outstanding debts and have pledged to clear them before the deadline:
1. Belema Oil
2. Panocean Oil Nigeria Ltd*
3. Newcross Exploration & Production Ltd.
4. Dubri Oil Company Ltd
5. Chorus Energy
6. Amni International
7. Network Exploration
2. Companies Disputing Their Recorded Liabilities
Nine companies, with a total outstanding debt of $429.2 million, have challenged the figures attributed to them. They have requested a reconciliation process with NUPRC to verify the accuracy of their obligations. These companies are:
1. Aradel/Niger Delta
2. Chevron
3. STAR DEEP
4. Shore Line
5. Seplat Producing Unlimited
6. Esso Erha
7. Esso Usan
8. Eroton Exploration
9. Seplat Energy
The Public Accounts Committee has directed that the reconciliation process be concluded within two weeks. After this period, all verified debts must be paid immediately without further delays.
3. Companies That Have Ignored the Committee’s Summons
A total of 28 companies, collectively owing $1.23 billion, have refused to appear before the Committee or respond to public notices. The defaulters include:
1. Addax Petroleum Exploration Nigeria Ltd
2. AITEO Group
3. All Grace Energy
4. Amalgamated Oil Company Nigeria Limited
5. Total E&P Nigeria (OML 100, 102, 52 & 99)
6. Bilton Energy Limited
7. Enageed Resources Limited
8. Waltersmith Petroman Limited
9. Conoil Plc
10. Continental Oil & Gas Company Ltd
11. Energia Limited
12. First E&P Ltd
13. Frontier Oil Limited
14. General Hydrocarbons Limited
15. Green Energy International Ltd
16. Nigeria Agip Exploration Ltd (NAE)
17. Neconde Energy Limited
18. Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) – OML 60, 61 & 63
19. Lekoil Oil and Gas Investments Limited
20. Midwestern Oil and Gas Limited
21. Millennium Oil and Gas Company Limited
22. Oando Oil Ltd (OML 60, 61 & 62)
23. Heirs Holding
24. Pillar Oil Limited
25. Platform Petroleum Limited
26. Universal Energy Limited / Sinpec
27. Sahara Field Production Limited
28. Oriental Energy Resources Limited
These firms have been given a one-week grace period to submit the necessary financial documents and appear before the Committee. Failure to comply will attract strict legislative and regulatory actions to enforce compliance.
4. Companies That Have Fully Paid Their Royalty Obligations
Only two companies were confirmed to have no outstanding royalty debts:
1. Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)
2. Shell Nigeria Exploration & Production
Next Steps: Enforcing Compliance & Revenue Recovery
The House Committee on Public Accounts has reaffirmed it commitment to enforcing compliance with statutory financial obligations under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). Lawmakers have vowed to intensify oversight efforts to recover outstanding revenues and curb future financial leakages in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
The House of Representatives insists that all firms operating in Nigeria’s energy sector must meet their financial responsibilities in order to support the nation’s economic stability. The Committee has also assured Nigerians that appropriate legislative actions will be taken to hold all defaulters accountable.
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