By Louis Achi
On the heels of last week’s cautionary travel advisory issued by the US to its citizens in Nigeria, the federal government had said it caused panic and severe adverse effects on the Nigerian economy.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this during an interactive session with journalists on Monday in Abuja.
The US Embassy in Nigeria on Friday issued a notice of “elevated threats” to major hotels in Nigeria’s “larger cities.” It, however, said the Nigerian security services are working diligently to counter the threat.
Idris said it is important not to generalise such advisories because they do not achieve anything. He added that the government had consistently prioritised the safety and well-being of all visitors to the country.
According to Idris, “We understand the concerns raised by the United States Government in their recent travel advisory but believe that it is imperative that we do not generalise isolated incidents across the entire hospitality industry.
“What we have seen is that such advisories do not achieve anything other than needless panic, and they can have severe adverse economic impact, not to talk of what they do to undermine the government’s efforts to attract investment.
“We have consistently prioritised the safety and well-being of all visitors to our country. 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.”
The minister also said the government is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all Nigerians and visitors and would continue to work towards maintaining a secure and hospitable environment for tourists and business travellers and the like.
He said the nation’s security agencies have been very busy, doing their best to keep everyone safe.
“In various parts of Kaduna State, seven bandits were neutralised, in various operations between the 1st and 3rd of November.
“In Kano State, on November 3, a joint operation by troops of the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services carried out a dawn raid operation on terrorists’ hideout in Gezawa Local Government Area, successfully averting an imminent attack on Kano by insurgents.
“The operation recovered AK 47 Rifles, AK 47 Rifle Magazines, a Rocket Propelled Gun (RPG), RPG Bombs, Hand Grenades, Improvised Explosive Device (IED)-making materials, among others.
“In Katsina, two NYSC members abducted by bandits were successfully rescued.
“In the North-East and North-West of the country, the Nigerian Air Force has been very busy, with several successful airstrikes on bandits’ and terrorists’ camps and hideouts in Katsina, Zamfara and Borno States.
“The Air Force has also recently taken delivery of 4 new aircraft, to strengthen the fight against banditry and terrorism..
The minister said President Bola Tinubu was pleased with the quick and decisive response of the National Assembly in passing the 2023 supplementary budget.
He added that work was ongoing on the 2024 Appropriation Bill, which will be the first full-year budget of the Tinubu Administration.
