The House of Representatives has described as embarrassing, the state of some of Nigeria’s missions abroad, and their activities calling for better funding for them.
The House has also called on the Federal Government to allow each of the Missions Abroad partake of the revenue generated from activities within, to enhance the work environment of the Missions and make for a positive change.
Chairman of the committee on foreign affairs, Hon. Buba Yakub, had in a motion under matters of urgent public importance on Tuesday, drew attention of the House to the poor state of the country’s foreign missions, arguing that they should be
encouraged on strict implementation of the Smart Mission Concept.
He said, “one major rationale in seeking the establishment of diplomatic relations with other countries of the world was, and still is, the great importance government attaches to maintaining friendly relations with other independent countries of the world”, and that “is hinged on the belief that diplomacy facilitates communication and regular interaction among leaders of States and other entities in world politics”.
According to him, Nigeria has over 100 of such Missions scattered across all parts of the world housing several staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior and others,but that for some time now, the entire world has continued to witness several disturbing videos on both the social and traditional media portraying events in some Nigerian Missions abroad and even the ill-treatment of Nigerians without a word from their Missions.
“Many of the Missions abroad operate from dilapidated buildings and rented properties with long unpaid rents, unpaid utility bills, poor and moribund communication infrastructure, dingy furniture, no utility cars and sometimes with no cars for the Ambassador/I-Iigh Commissioner to even fly the official flag of our country in their places of assignment”, he lamented.
