Donor Funds: Varsity Don Tackles Minister Over Ultimatum, Lawsuit Threat Against UN

A former Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General to Somalia, Prof. Babafemi Badejo, has faulted the Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, for issuing a one-month ultimatum and threatening legal action against the UN over donor funds due to Nigeria.

Kennedy-Ohaneye had in a television interview on Monday gave the UN a one-month ultimatum from October 16, 2023 to November 15, 2023 to render accounts on all the monies received in the name of Nigeria from donors, and threatened to proceed to file a suit on November 16, 2023, against the global body if the accounts were not rendered.

But, reacting to the development in a statement entitled: “The Promised Nigerian Suit against the United Nations: A Case for the Proper Socialisation of Cabinet Members,” on Tuesday, Prof. Badejo, who is currently a Legal Practitioner and Professor of Political Science/International Relations at Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, wondered if an international organisation like the UN can be dealt with in such a cavalier manner.

He said asking for accountability and transparency is very proper, and the spirit of seeking answers to lighten up grey areas that may be indicative of corruption is a great idea.

He said experience has shown that some UN officials were corrupt, and some have accordingly been jailed but there are laid down arrangements for such requests by a sovereign nation.

Badejo said not to follow the laid down procedure and embarking on media grandstanding can only portray Nigeria in bad light.

According to him, Nigeria is telling the world that it lacks the requisite leadership and structures for appropriate operation in the community of nations.

“The United Nations system’s counterpart in Nigeria is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Even, if the Minister of Foreign Affairs, after exhaustive dialogue within his Department of International Organisations has decided on the need to request for transparency from the UN, it is expected that he would take the case to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) before articulating, if at all, such a weighty position at a media show,” he said.

Badejo said President Bola Tinubu addressed the UN General Assembly last month and met with the UN Secretary-General but he was not reported to have indicated that Nigeria was experiencing a lack of accountability and transparency with the UN organs working in Nigeria.

The former diplomat said it was a shock that a Nigerian Minister was so amateurish in diplomatic relations, emphasising that: “Our inadequacies from lacking the appropriate arrangements for the necessary training and socialisation of new entrants into office are being shown to the world.

“In addition, one expects that a Minister of Nigeria would have been apprised of the importance of diplomatic and functional immunities that the UN and its officials enjoy. In which Court is our Minister of Women Affairs intending to embark on her frolic?

“What would be the charges? What is the expected outcome of such a litigation process? Would a more organised strategic follow-through reporting of officials through diplomatic channels against a media inspired, arrogant, poorly thought-out litigation choice not have yielded a much better outcome?”

He said President Tinubu needed to have his Ministers coordinated and appropriately socialised into their respective duties.

Badejo said the UN must readily support anti-corruption, including allegations against its own staff members when evidences are adduced through appropriate mechanisms.

He asked the Minister of Women Affairs to do well to address corruption in her Ministry by collaborating with the ongoing probe, by at least one of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies.

“Charity is better if it begins at home. She needs to be more procedural and take advantage of available expertise in the government she is a part of.

“She could also make a big difference by embarking on ways to empower women and thereby reduce national poverty,” Prof. Badejo added.