Nigeria Foreign Missions, Embassies, Stranded, Risks Court Action Over Debt | READ MORE
Barely two weeks to their departure, Nigeria foreign Missions and Embassies are stranded and facing embarrassment as Service Providers are threatening court actions against them for failing to meet their payment obligations and their inability to handle some logistics challenges arising from the non – remittance of their overhead costs for four months counting by the Federal Ministry Of Foreign Affairs.
An impeccable source close to one of the Foreign Missions told our correspondent that Nigerian Ambassadors have been running the affairs of the Nigerian Missions since June, 2023 till date under what he described as Out of Pocket Expenditures and on credit bases.
The source noted that for four months, no tranche of the overhead cost due Foreign Missions has been released to them till date and according to him ” this has caused difficulties that some of the Ambassadors may not be able to handle some logistics problems including some indebtedness to service providers consequently risking court action by the creditors”.
But a public affairs analyst, Prof. Olawale Olubanjo blamed the current travails of the Nigerian Ambassadors to corruption.
Prof. Olubanjo reasoned, “how can overhead cost which is provided in the budget not be released to those it is meant for for four months counting? lt is possible the cabals in the Foreign Affairs Ministry are waiting for the Ambassadors to exit office before they would do the clean up “.
Recall that the President, Ahmed BolaTinubu had recently recalled the the Nigerian Foreign Missions which deadline is set for October 30, 2023.
Many embassies officials risk being thrown out from their residences by their landlord if nothing is urgently done .
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the October deadline directive of the federal Government may be extended if the President approves a letter written by the Ambassadors asking for extension of time.
lt was reliably gathered that many of the Ambassadors may have the academic programmes of their wards which is at mid term this October truncated if they leave this month. The source said many of these ambassadors live abroad with their families and a December extension will enable them tidy up both domestic and external commitments.
All efforts by our correspondent to get a response from the Federal Ministry Of Foreign Affairs proved abortive as the Minister was said not to be available while top Officials of the Ministry refused to comment on the issue.
