Reps bemoan deplorable state of Foreign Missions, call for adequate funding

House of Representatives on Thursday expressed displeasure over the deplorable state of most of the Nigeria’s Foreign Missions due to inadequate funding.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Nnena Elendu-Ukeje (PDP-Abia) and 22 other lawmakers,underscored the need for increased budgetary allocation to the committee on foreign relations to enable carry out its oversight functions on the Missions.

Elendu-Ukeje who doubles as chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, expressed worry that poor funding of the missions were affecting their operations.

The lawmaker added that the poor funding resulted in unpaid allowances of home based officers, huge debts owed to service providers and poor representation of officers posted to those missions.

She also emphasised that some of the contributory factors to the deplorable conditions of the Nigeria’s Embassies and High Commissioners in cities like Washington D. C, New York, Geneva, Frankfurt and Johannesburg were due to low funds.

Elendu-Ukeje prayed the house to also urge the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Accountant General of the Federation to ensure direct and timely remittance of funds to Nigeria’s Missions.

She also expressed concern over the denial of medical services and non-payment of school fees of the children and wards of foreign officers.

“The House is concerned about the situation where children and wards of the foreign officers are being sent out of shools for non-payment of school fees and the officails are being denied medical services due to non-payment of insurance premium,” she said.

In his contribution, Jones Onyereri (PDP-Imo) decried the condition of the missions as well as the hardship foreign officers faced.

He said that there was the need for Nigerian Government to come up with solutions and also determine whether it was necessary for the government to pay insurance premium.

On his part, Nnanna Igbokwe (PDP-Imo) said there was the need for a hearing to be held to enable the house to aggregate the problems missions faced and find lasting solutions to them.

While stating that the call to reduce the number of missions is counter-productive as ambassadors and high commissioners have been deployed,

Igbokwe advocated that rather than remit funds generated back home, the missions should utilize such fund in the running their respective operations.

Akso speaking, Zakari Mohammed, chairman, House Committee on Basic Education who stressed the need to check the anomalies, argued that the prevailing situation will make Nigeria will remain a laughing stock in the comity of nations.

To this end, he called for more funds to be appropriated to the missions.

While ruling, Speaker Yakubu Dogara mandated the Committee on Foreign Affairs to conduct a public hearing on the deplorable state of Nigeria’s Foreign Missions and report back within eight weeks for further legislative action.

 

KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja