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Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has urged Nigerians to disregard calls to suspend visits to the United States of America, pending clarification of the country’s immigration policy.
This comes about 24 hours after the office of the Senior Special Assistant to Mr President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Matters issued a statement, urging Nigerians who do not have pressing need to visit the US to suspend their planned trips pending clearer US immigration policy.
The President’s adviser, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, also alleged cases of Nigerians with valid documents being denied entry into the country from the airport.
But Onyeama, who spoke in Abuja on Monday, maintained that there was no basis for such caution as the relationship between Nigeria and the US has remained cordial.
He said: “On the current trendy news that Nigeria should be wary of the US, this is not the case. If government is speaking about international relations, the most authoritative foreign affairs issues’ sources are the media team of the Presidency or Foreign Affairs.
“It is business as usual between Nigeria and the US and very good business too. Anything else you hear is incorrect. So, any Nigerian with valid documents should proceed to travel”.
When asked to reconcile his position with the reports that some Nigerians were turned back from US airports even as at yesterday, the minister stated that there was no basis for that report as, according to him, no such reports have been received from Nigerian embassies or consulate in the US