A group, Nigerian Coalition for Quality Governance, has criticised the foreign affairs minister, Geoffrey Onyeama for his handling of the U.S. travel controversy.
In a statement Tuesday, the group said Onyeama was only trying to deny and dismiss the effects of the Executive Order of the U.S. President Donald Trump banning nationals of select countries.
“While it must be admitted that Nigeria is not officially among the countries whose citizens have been banned from entering the US, enough evidence has already surfaced that not a few Nigerians had been put on the next available planes from the US airports back to Nigeria despite their possession of all travelling documents including the US entry visa,” the group said.
The group said the minister was wrong in calling on Nigerians to ignore the advisory issued by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, President Muhammad Buhari’s Senior Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora relations.
“While we’re not questioning the right of the Foreign Minister to an issue that borders on foreign policy as this, Mr. Onyeama has undoubtedly put the wrong foot forward in calling on Nigerians to ignore this Travel Advisory in the face of verifiable evidence that Nigerians are being unfairly targeted and included in the dragnet of the US immigration authorities,” the group said.
“Firstly, we had wondered why the Foreign Minister was always behind the “8th ball” in his response to major foreign affairs and diaspora issues. While it’s never too late for Mr. Onyeama to wake up to his responsibilty, we wonder if he must play to the gallery with his denial that Nigerians have been affected by the US travel ban in any way.”
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