The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the deteriorating state of Nigerian diplomatic missions in the United States.
This followed what the lawmakers described as disturbing and embarrassing discoveries during an oversight visit to Nigerian mission houses in New York, Atlanta, and Washington D.C.
Adopting a motion of urgent public importance moved by Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, during Wednesday’s plenary, the lawmakers resolved to investigate the alleged mismanagement, infrastructural decay, and financial distress crippling Nigeria’s foreign missions, particularly in the U.S.
Chinda said the missions that have been neglected serve as a means of interface for the Nigerian government, foreign governments, and other international organisations.
According to him, they are strategic for advancing diplomatic, economic, cultural, and technical aid policies, adding that the USA hosts several important international organisations including the United Nations (UN).
He lamented that for two years running, Nigeria has failed to replace the Nigerian Permanent Representative to the United Nations and the Nigerian High Commissioner to the USA, who chairs the Committee on Peace.
Chinda noted that this dereliction, among other issues, has created a negative perception of Nigeria globally and will potentially harm the country’s aspiration for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
He said: “Also cognisant of the fact that in recent times, Nigerian missions have been beset with several challenges, such as poor state of the mission houses, poor state of infrastructure and facilities, inability to pay staff salaries, ineffective diplomatic participation, and neglect of strategic foreign policy engagements, amongst others.
“Disturbed that despite receiving yearly budgetary allocations appropriated for their smooth operations, including running costs, maintenance of facilities, and staff welfare, the dwindling value of the naira has made same very inadequate, and the missions are therefore unable to meet their needs.
“Perturbed that Nigeria’s international image is severely undermined by such appalling neglect, mismanagement, and administrative decay in key diplomatic outposts — especially in the U.S., where Nigeria maintains strategic interests and aspirations, including her long-standing quest for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.”
The lawmaker argued that there is an urgent need to investigate this state of affairs to ascertain the true situation of things.
According to him, unless urgent and pragmatic steps are immediately taken to investigate and address the issue, the country may lose its respect in the eyes of her citizenry, saying that it might in the long run plunge the country into ridicule and irrelevance among global actors.
The House, while adopting the motion, urged the Federal Government to immediately appoint the Nigerian Permanent Representative at the United Nations and the High Commissioner to the United States of America.
It further urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Accountant General of Nigeria to urgently intervene in the situation in the United States missions and save the missions from imminent ridicule, embarrassment, and operational collapse.
