Here's the best part of the new policy as reported this week: to obtain approval from the United States for a visit, a governor from a Nigerian state must obtain clearance for his trip from the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The EFCC* is a law enforcement agency that investigates and prosecutes financial crimes in Nigeria, and has charged Nigerian governors with money laundering offences. It allegedly has two-thirds of Nigeria's governors under investigation for corruption.

Other new provisions:

• The governors are limited to no more than two aides accompanying them during the trip. Apparently, they had previously brought along large numbers of staff at state expense.
  

• The governors' trips must be for state reasons in order for the Nigerian government to assume responsibility for payment for trip expenses. Trips made for frivolous or personal reasons will not be paid by government.
  

• If the trip is possibly to provide an opportunity for diversion of public funds, it will not be approved by the EFCC.

There has been no public announcement on the US Embassy website of these new regulations; if and when more details appear, we shall publish them forthwith.

One wonders whether this action will be limited to Nigerian PEPs, or be extended by the US to officials in other countries where corruption is rampant and uncontrolled.  _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ * http://www.efccnigeria.org/