Presidency on Wednesday said it will not make hasty comments of reported plans by the Donald Trump administration in the United States to include Nigeria amongst countries under the new travel restriction plans
Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a reaction to Media reports of the travel restoration, stated that the Federal government will wait to get the official communication on new policy before making its views known
“ Yes we have read the news that the Trump administration is planning to add a host of African, Asian and Eastern European countries to its travel restrictions list as reported by the U.S. media.
“We are not going to react to speculations. We urge you to wait for us to see what unfolds under the new policy, its scope, its reach, the implications and its consequences before we react.” he said.
The controversial policy which might lead to placing more restrictions on Nigerians wanting to traveling to the United States will be made public in a few days
Seven countries that would face the US travel restrictions will include immigrants from Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania,
The new restrictions is coming three years after Trump’s initial travel ban that zeroed on majority-Muslim countries, would apply to travelers from countries viewed to be less friendly to America policies
The reaction is coming ahead of President Buhari’s arrival from the United Kingdom where he had gone for the UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020
Buhari is expected back to Nigeria on Thursday after participating at the meeting that also had other Africa leaders in attendance
President Buhari had used the opportunity of the meeting to hold bilateral meetings in London the sidelines with the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana
President Muhammadu Buhari while meeting with the Ghanaian President on Monday in London said the partial closure of Nigeria’s borders is not caused solely because food products, particularly rice, were being smuggled into Nigeria, but also because arms and ammunition, as well as hard drugs were being ferried into the country
Buhari told his Ghanaian counterpart that he could not keep his eyes open, and watch youths being destroyed through cheap hard drugs, and compromised security caused by unbridled influx of small arms.
“When most of the vehicles carrying rice and other food products through our land borders are intercepted, you find cheap hard drugs, and small arms, under the food products. This has terrible consequences for any country,”
He said it was regrettable that the partial border closure was having “negative economic impact on our neighbours,” but added that “we cannot leave our country, particularly the youths, endangered.”
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
