Nigerian born Munro College shot put and discus thrower Emmanuel Onyia is on his way to realising his dreams of representing Jamaica in international competition, after his 10-year-old application for Jamaican citizenship was approved.
Onyia’s father, Emmanuel Snr gave Observer West the good news on Wednesday noting that they were set to travel to Kingston on Thursday to collect the relevant document at the Offices of the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency on Constant Spring Road, before immediately applying for a Jamaican passport.
“This is much better,” an obviously excited Onyia senior told Observer West, “This is a good feeling as finally we feel like we are moving forward.”
Onyia junior sensationally upset the favoured Calabar pair of national junior record holder Ashinia Miller and IAAF World Youth Championships discus gold medallist Fedrick Dacres at the JAAA/Burger King CARIFTA Trials at the Stadium East complex two weeks ago, after throwing a personal best 19.09m which also qualifies him to participate in the IAAF World Junior Championships later this year in Barcelona, Spain.
A report carried in the Observer on March 5, the day after CARIFTA Trials, highlighted the fact that his family had been waiting for an extended period of time for his citizenship petition to be addressed.
The family is now hoping the application for the passport will be processed much quicker so the 19- year- old can participate in the CARIFTA Games in Hamilton, Bermuda, from April 7 to 9.
The Jamaican team is expected to be named by the end of next week.
On Tuesday, the elder Onyia who returned from Nigeria last week where he had gone to attend the funeral of his father, told the Observer West that there were still some “anxiety for both of us,” as they awaited words from the government agency whether his citizenship would be approved before the team is named.
Up to Monday he said, his son had called from school in St Elizabeth to ask whether he had heard any news on the citizenship application.
The elder Onyia who is originally from the eastern part of Nigeria said that the wait had been “a frustrating one, we have always called and all we heard is ‘no decision has been taken.”’
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