By Disun Amosun
Considering the import of the Nigeria-United States of America bilateral relationship in the socio-economic cum security aspects of the two countries, members of the House of Representatives Wednesday urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately appoint the long overdue Nigerian Permanent Representative to the United Nations and a substantive Ambassador to the USA.
Pursuant to a motion raised by the Minority Leader of the House Rep. Kingsley Chinda, the lawmakers also raised the urgent need for relevant authorities to investigate the alleged poor state of Nigerian Embassies and High Commissions abroad, particularly in a strategic country as the USA.
The House Minority Leader noted with concern the disturbing and embarrassing findings after a recent oversight visit of the Nigeria-United States of America Parliamentary Friendship Group to Nigeria’s Mission Houses in New York, Atlanta and Washington D.C.
He also noted that mutual diplomatic representation is very crucial for promoting understanding and international cooperation amongst various countries, and projecting a positive image of Nigeria among comity of nations.
The House 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 mission, and other affected missions from imminent ridicule, embarrassment and operational hazards
It mandate the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian/USA Friendship Group to investigate the administrative, financial, and infrastructural conditions of Nigeria’s Missions in New York, Atlanta, and Washington D.C.and also ascertain the causes of salary arrears, budgetary shortfalls, and mismanagement of allocated funds.
In approving Rep Chinda’s motion, raised pursuant to Order 8 rule 5 of the House Rue, the lawmakers proposed long-term recommendations to restore efficiency, professionalism, and dignity in Nigeria’s Foreign Service operations;
The Minority Leader had noted with dismay that the “The Nigerian Mission House in New York is reportedly indebted in rent payments and has left over thirty staff without salaries for over a year; and in Washington D.C., the elevator in the Mission House was only repaired after a patriotic Nigerian intervened to restore it, an act which while noble, underscores gross negligence and systemic dysfunction in the running of Nigeria’s foreign Missions.”
