Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has directed the foreign affairs ministry to stop processing visas for people with “no clear roles” at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session that starts on September 5 in New York, the United States.
“The US 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,” Tinubu said in a statement on Monday.
“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,” added the president.
The statement said that the extra people, whose roles at the UNGA summit won’t be clear, “will be removed during the final verification process.”
Tinubu said the decision has been made to ensure prudent use of state resources.
“Henceforth, government officials and government expenditure must reflect the prudence and sacrifice being made by well-meaning Nigerians across the nation,” he said.
During the campaigns – ahead of the February 25, 2023 elections – Tinubu pledged efficient use of resources should he win the presidency.
