President Bola Tinubu has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to stop government officials who have no business at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York from travelling.
In a statement released by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu stated that the decision was taken in line “with a broader effort to reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria”.
The statement read;
“To prevent any sharp practice in this regard, 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.
“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.”