Nigerian foreign missions and officials are reportedly facing perilous times over alleged lack of attention of the federal government, which is yet to appoint substantive ambassadors and high commissioners for over one year since the top-level officials were recalled.
LEADERSHIP had reported earlier about the implications of the delay in the appointment of the top-level officials as experts warned that it would reduce the diplomatic clout of Nigeria and affect its trade and investment pursuit and other serious bilateral engagements.
Apparently, stories of foreign officials being owed arrears of salaries up to six months have hit the nation as officials are now allegedly running into debts with court cases dangling on their necks, which makes the situation unpalatable for the image of the country and requires urgent intervention to save the nation’s image.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP Sunday on the urgent need to curb the unfortunate situation, Prof Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Abuja, said it appeared the government does not have foreign mission as its priority.
“Definitely the government has shown that it is not its priority to actually maintain or sustain foreign missions which seems to be apparent and discernible looking at the period of time the government has ignored foreign missions as well as the appointment of ambassadors to represent the country in missions abroad,” he said.
The lecturer frowned at the alleged issue of foreign mission officials being owed six months’ salaries, stressing that the prioritisation of the foreign mission was not in the agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“There is no way you will owe six months’ salary for foreign mission workers and diplomats who work outside the country and represent your government. The prioritisation of the foreign missions is part of what should be calculated in the welfare of the foreign mission workers. This alone will reveal to you that the government is not serious. The government has abandoned the foreign missions; the government is not keen at developing foreign missions and international relations or even foreign policy objectives,” he said.
He warned against the threat of a shutdown of some embassies, adding that the embassies deal with political, economic, bilateral, sociocultural educational exchanges, partnership, collaboration, cooperation as well as updates of what is happening in the host country of the foreign mission.
But, an expert in international relations, Dr Katch Ononuju, said although there is delay in the appointment of substantive ambassadors, President Tinubu is doing a great job trying to sanitise the foreign missions that have been beset by rot in recent times.
He said it might take some time but the rot the president met within the foreign missions was so enormous that he is taking some measures to reposition Nigeria on the path of diplomatic dignity that would attract real investment to the people of Nigeria and improve Nigeria’s clout and image within the international community.
He said, “Some of the so-called former envoys were not representing Nigeria but pursuing other objectives that were inimical to the county’s interest and thereby making a mess of the foreign missions. Tinubu is trying to fix all that and irrespective of the time it might take, it is better to get it right at the end of the day.”
In a chat with LEADERSHIP Sunday, a senior lecturer with the Department Political Science and international Relations and Director of Strategic Partnership at A-Muhibbah University, Abuja, Prof Mukhtar Imam, said the crisis in the foreign mission is a display of lapse on the part of the current administration.
He added that any government that understands the seriousness of governance should not have any lacuna in its foreign affairs and security.
“It is high time the government began to take these sectors very seriously. The appointment of ambassadors and high commissioners will position the country very strategically within the comity of nations. It will help to boost the morale of our representatives out there to push further in terms of achieving set goals and objectives as far as missions to the very countries assigned are concerned.
“I strongly believe that the current administration understands the priorities, the urgency and the importance of having these foreign missions occupied by ambassadors. The administration must hasten the appointment of these substantive officials especially now that Nigeria needs other countries with high volume of investments,” he added.
On the stories of alleged salary arrears owed foreign mission officials, Prof Imam said it is really sad and very appalling to owe foreign missions personnel, even as he condemned the threat of a looming shutting down of embassies.
“It is not good for our image; it will seal all of the negative notions that people may have about Nigeria; we need to correct this image and court cases are absolutely unacceptable, it is unpardonable and there is no excuse for this,” he stated.
The Head of Department of Public Policy and Administration, MIVA Open University of Nigeria, Dr Sam Oni, pointed out that the delay in appointing ambassadors and high commissioners for over a year raises serious concerns about Nigeria’s diplomatic posture and foreign policy priorities.
He said, “We have seen the president engaging in multiple international visits. However, the absence of properly designated envoys, no doubt, weakens Nigeria’s representation and influence in global affairs. It suggests a lack of urgency in filling these crucial positions, which can affect bilateral and multilateral engagements.”
He also bemoaned the reports of foreign mission officials being owed six months’ salaries, along with the imminent shutdown of some Nigerian embassies, stressing that these have severe diplomatic and operational implications.
“Unpaid salaries have the tendency to demoralize staff, reduce efficiency, and tarnish Nigeria’s international image. I would like to state categorically that if missions are unable to function properly, they may struggle to provide essential services such as visa issuance, consular assistance, and economic diplomacy. This could damage Nigeria’s reputation and weaken its ability to protect its citizens abroad.
“The issue of embassies running into debt and facing legal battles is particularly troubling. It reflects poor financial management, bureaucratic inefficiency, and possibly deeper governance challenges within Nigeria’s Foreign Service. Accumulated debts can lead to legal actions, property seizures, or eviction of diplomatic missions – highly embarrassing situations for any sovereign nation.
“I think the Nigerian government needs to urgently address these challenges. The Nigerian government needs to prioritize foreign policy administration, appoint qualified envoys, and ensure the proper funding of missions. Without immediate intervention, Nigeria risks losing diplomatic credibility and influence on the global stage,” he added.
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