Breaking: Tinubu halts visa for Top govt officials seeking to travel for UNGA in New York

Visas of all government officials seeking to  travel to New York for the UN General Assembly have been halted, per a directive from President Bola Tinubu to the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to a statement by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, the decision that came from the President this afternoon is thought to be a part of a larger effort to lower the cost of governance in Nigeria.

The instruction is specifically for individuals without documentation of direct involvement in the UNGA’s scheduled activities, it was added.

The Nigerian Permanent Mission in New York was 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 in order to prevent any sharp practices in this regard. The U.S. Mission in Nigeria is similarly instructed on official visa processing.

“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,” the statement added.