President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to stop the processing of visas for government officials not directly involved in the official schedule of the United Nations General Assembly( UNGA ) holding in New York next month.
The directive is contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale on Monday.
The statement noted that the decision is part of a broader effort to reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria.
It urged those cleared for participation to reduce the number of aides adding that a final screening of participants will take place to forestall” excesses or anomalies”
The presidency also noted that to prevent any sharp practice in this regard, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria is accordingly guided on official visa processing while Nigeria’s Permanent Mission in New York is further directed to prevent and stop the accreditation of any government official who is not placed on the protocol lists forwarded by the approving authority.
“By this directive of the President, all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies are mandated to ensure that all officials, who are approved for inclusion in the UNGA delegation, strictly limit the number of aides and associated staff partaking in the event. Where excesses or anomalies in this regard are identified, they will be removed during the final verification process.
“The President wishes to affirm that, henceforth, government officials and government expenditure must reflect the prudence and sacrifice being made by well-meaning Nigerians across the nation,”
