Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, has said contrary to reports, no Nigerian with valid entry visa had been denied entry to the United States.
Onyeama, who stated this while fielding questions from newsmen over the issue, said Nigerians were free to travel to the United States, as the country was not on the ban list.
The minister said he was constantly in touch with the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States and the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, adding that there was no report on Nigerians being denied entry into the United States.
According to him, if government was speaking on any external relations, it would be heard from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Presidency.
He said Nigeria had embassies in almost 114 countries across the world and the ministry relied on their reports.
Onyeama also said the Federal Government was having discussion with the South African authorities to ensure the issue of xenophobia did not repeat itself.
He said the discussion was as well meant to ensure protection of foreigners living in South Africa.
United States President Donald Trump had, on Monday, signed a new executive order which banned immigration from six Muslim-majority countries, dropping Iraq from January’s previous order, and reinstated a temporary blanket ban on all refugees.
In a related development, a group, Nigerian Coalition for Quality Governance, has frowned on the denial of the story which emanated from the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Honourable Abike Dabiri-Erewa, which advised “Nigerians who have no compelling or urgent reason to travel to the United States to postpone their travel plans until the new administration’s policy on immigration is clear.”
The group said the minister should have taken time to investigate cases of those Nigerians affected in the said report instead of rushing to issue denial.
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