BEVERLY HILLS, October 03, (THEWILL) – The Senate has bemoaned the poor state of the country’s foreign missions calling on the Federal Government to fix them.
The upper chamber,on Tuesday, resolved to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to articulate ways to fix the foreign missions including possible reduction of the missions following the adoption of a motion by Tijjani Yahaya Kaura on “The urgent need for the Federal Government to fund our foreign missions.”
The lawmakers painted a worrisome picture of the missions including the inability of the embassies to pay staff allowances, salaries, rent for residences, chanceries and other staff official quarters.
“Nigeria’s diplomatic missions are facing several challenges, including their inability to pay home based officers allowances, local staff salaries, rent for residences, chanceries and other staff official quarters, in addition to the dire lack of funds for other sundry expenses such as visits to Nigerians in jail and provision for other consular services,” Kaura said.
“There are threats by host countries to revoke building permits of some properties abroad belonging to Nigerian Missions following their poor structural conditions, which constitute hazard to the communities where such buildings are situated, and lack of routine maintenance that will bring such structures in line with the building codes of host countries.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs budget envelope is grossly inadequate to meet its expenditure requirements even at headquarters and with this situational analysis, the ministry’s approved 2017 budget would hardly provide the needed impetus required of the ministry towards achieving Nigeria’s foreign policy goal and objectives in pursuance of our national interest.”
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