The Federal Government has countered the travel advisory the Unites States issued to its citizens in Nigeria where it advised them against visiting some hotels i the Federal Capital Territory because of alleged security threats.
NPO Reports that the United States Mission in Nigeria had at the weekend, warned its citizens in what it called “elevated alert.”
But the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, while countering the US on Monday, said at a meeting with journalists that such advisory was capable of undermining the economy of the country.
He said issuing such advice at a time the government is making efforts to attract investors to Nigeria could be negative.
He said the government had consistently prioritized the safety and well-being of all visitors to Nigeria.
“We have implemented comprehensive security measures both at the federal and state levels to ensure the safety of tourists and international guests.
These measures include intense intelligence gathering, acquisition and deployment of additional platforms, training and re-training of personnel, cooperation with international law enforcement agencies, among others, to maintain a secure environment,” he said.
On post oil subsidy removal economic interventions, Idris said the present administration provided some palliatives in short, medium and long terms to help cushion the effects of the subsidy removal.
He said government provided a wage increment of N35,000 monthly for six months to enhance federal minimum wage, without causing undue inflation.
He said the government had also launched a N100 billion CNG bus rollout programme, to deliver CNG-powered buses, and established a presidential committee to drive implementation.
According to him, the government is finalizing the process for payment of a cash transfer of N25,000 monthly to 15 million of the poorest and most vulnerable households in Nigeria for three months.