All government employees who lack documentation of direct involvement in the UNGA events’ official schedules are not permitted to travel to New York for the occasion, according to President Bola Tinubu.
The President stressed that the action is a part of measures to lower the cost of governance in a statement made on Monday by his spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale.
His order instructs the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to halt the issuance of visas to any such government officials, and the American Embassy in Nigeria is advised not to approve any such visas.
The President further said that any impacted individuals would be removed during the final verification process if any excess or irregularity was still detected in spite of his directive.
“As part of a broader effort to lower the cost of governance in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to freeze the processing of visas for all government officials seeking to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly without proof of direct participation in the UNGA’s official schedule of activities,” the full statement reads.
The Nigerian Permanent Mission in New York is further instructed to prevent and stop the accreditation of any government official who is not listed on the protocol lists provided by the approving authority. “To prevent any sharp practice in this regard, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria is accordingly guided on official visa processing.”All Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies are required to guarantee that all officials who are authorized to be included in the UNGA delegation tightly limit the number of aides and associated employees participating in the event, per this direction from the President. Any excesses or irregularities found in this regard will be eliminated during the final verification procedure.