By Ikenwa Charity
The House of Representatives has expressed unpleasantness at the directives by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs directing the nation’s Embassies and High Commissions not to implement section 11 relating to the capital components of the 2022 Appropriation Act.
The representatives also expressed disappointment over the dilapidated states of the Nigerian embassies as the embassies are unable to carry out capital components of their budget, unable to pay for utilities, buy and maintain vehicles, pay ground as a result of what they described as a selfish concern by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The House said such directive which was reportedly issued by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry and dated January 20, 2022, was a violation of the provisions of the 1999 constitution as amended which states that no money shall be spent except in a manner prescribed by the National Assembly.
Section 11 of the Appropriation Act allows Embassies and High Commissions to spend their capital budget without recourse to the Ministry, but the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affair, Rep. Yusuf Buba Yakub said the Ministry claimed that the section contradicts the provisions of the Public Procurement Act.
The House said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must comply with the provisions of Section 11 of the 2022 Appropriations Act( Power of Nigerian Embassies and Missions), adding that if they disagree with the provision of the law, they are at liberty to lobby for an amendment rather than directing the embassies not to implement the law.
It also asked the Ministry to rescind the contents of its letter countering an earlier letter written by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to the Minister and the Embassies/High Commissions to request compliance with the provisions of Section 11 of the 2022 Appropriations Act.
Explaining further on the motion by Rep Buba Yakub, he decried the state of Nigeria’s foreign missions, adding that Nigerian missions have become a laughing stock all over the world.
In his word, the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Hon. Yakub said “Mr Speaker, our embassies have become a laughing stock all over the world. The embassies are so dilapidated that our Ambassadors cannot invite their colleagues to the Nigerian House in the country where they reside.
“It has reached a stage that sometimes, our ambassadors hire taxis and sometimes, their vehicles break down on the road and they have to remove their flag and hide it so that the shame will be covered.
“We have been to several Nigerian embassies across the world and in November, when we visited Niger Republic, I entered the toilet in the Ambassador’s office and it was blocked and there was no functional A/C in that Office.
“In Washington DC, when we visited, we found out that the cooling system had broken down while Nigerians who came for consular services had to remove the cloths of their clothes and they started shouting at us.
“When we went to Cameroon where the former Chief of Defence Staff is serving, a fence that is not up to 50 meters in his residence fell. An officer had to be sent from Abuja with full estacode just to go and see the fence, then come back to report before approval will be given for that fence to be repaired.”
He explained that as a result of the state of Nigerian mission that the National Assembly inserted the section into the appropriation Act, adding that “unfortunately, after the House has done due diligence and inputted this clause 11, the Ministry started putting resistance and I wrote to the Minister on January 18 to allow this take its course.
“On the 19th, I also wrote all the embassies to take one of this law. But on the 20th, the Ministry wrote a letter to all the embassies that they should not honour the letters written by the National Assembly, but hold on to implementing the law until they make First make consultations with other agencies of government.
“This is already a law and I don’t see any reason for the Ministry to resist implementation. If they don’t want the law, they should lobby for an amendment.
“They are saying that the law is not consistent with the Public Procurement Act. But before now, the embassies have been approving the spending of their overhead and personnel cost.” He said.
Reacting to the motion, Speaker of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila said such an action by the Permanent Secretary was a violation of the laws of the land and directed the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to invite the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his permanent Secretary to a meeting in his office over the issue on Monday.
The speaker went on to say, “I don’t want to believe that is happening, that any Ministry would have the effrontery to write and say don’t obey the law. I refuse to believe that is happening. If you disagree with the law, there are ways and processes.
“The question is what was the reason for this law in the first place? Why was section 11 included in the law? I have been round several embassies myself and this House had the Chairman of Foreign Affairs go round a few embassies and you will be aghast with the stories you hear.
“We cannot be here and let the embassies that represent us go through what they are going through just because certain.
“What does the constitution say about laws passed by the National Assembly? I thought the constitution said that no money should be spent except in a manner as prescribed by the National Assembly.
“This is the manner the National Assembly has prescribed. I have seen personally situations in our embassies and it is crying shame and the National Assembly is trying to make things better.”
In reaction also, the Minority leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu held that by disallowing embassies from implementing their capital budget without recourse to the headquarters, the Ministry was violating the provisions of the Appropriation Act and should be sanctioned.
“I want to say there should be an investigative hearing and the letter written by the Permanent Secretary should be brought before that hearing to ascertain that a Permanent Secretary would have that audacity to circumvent the law.
Elumelu further stressed that “It is a very grievous offence and he would need to explain because I know that when circumventing the law, there is a penalty for that. It is not just enough for us to say direct the embassies; we should go further to ensure that the man that has committed that crime is brought to book.”
Hon. Kasimu Bello Maigari alleged that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters has been steeped in various practices, actions and inactions that have negatively marred the ministry and affected the quality of service delivery.
He also said the actions of the Ministry has led to the inability of Ambassadors/ High Commissioners to settle ground rents, pay utility bills, purchase vehicles or rehabilitate dilapidated infrastructure in chancery buildings and quarters occupied by Foreign Service Officers across the globe.
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