Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has described as mischievous an online report, 247Ureport that the United States’ denier the visa application of Chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi.
The NGF Head, Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, in a statement explained that Fayemi retrieved his passport when the American Embassy indicated that the visa may not be ready by Friday, November 8th, because of a crucial speaking engagement at the AfDB Africa Investment Forum in South Africa on Monday, November 11th.
According to the online report, Fayemi was enraged by his denial of visa and allegedly demanded for the reason he was rejected, but was told to contact the appropriate offices to get further details.
Not satisfied with the explanations, the Ekiti Governor tore the U.S. visa rejection documents and threw it at the embassy officials and allegedly stormed out to the Embassy in anger.
The report said with this development, the previously scheduled trip to the USA with the Governors Forum in the company of Alike Dangote to meet with Bill and Melinda Gates was cancelled.
It also alleged that the NGF issued a circular to all Governors indicating the cancellation of the trip.
But Bello-Barkindo said: “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum wishes to correct the mischievous report of 247Ureport on the United States’ visa application of its Chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr John Kayode Fayemi.
“Governor Fayemi, like every other Nigerian citizen intending to visit the US, applied for a visa, attended his interview and was requested to pay the statutory visa acceptance fee by the US Consulate.
“The Governor’s visa application was not denied.
“Anyone conversant with US Visa application procedure knows that applicants are now routinely taken through administrative processing before visas are issued.
“When the American Embassy indicated that the visa may not be ready by Friday, 8th November, Dr Fayemi retrieved his passport because of a crucial speaking engagement at the AfDB Africa Investment Forum in South Africa on Monday, 11th November 2019.
“It is imperative to mention here that the NGF Chairman, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, only just returned from the United States where he attended the United Nation’s General Assembly where the NGF organized a high-level side meeting on the 27th of September 2019. It is also important, at this juncture, to caution journalists on the rush to print, as blatant mischief, laden with glaring untruths as contained in the 247Ureports narrative, can drag the journalism profession to disrepute.