Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, is not the first Nigerian to cry out about the need to fix the sorry state of Nigeria’s foreign missions. But his is potent. Following a motion moved by Kassim Maigari, who bemoaned the unfortunate circumstances that the country’s diplomats have found themselves, the House member from Taraba State called for urgent action to save them from the embarrassment.

He had hardly moved the motion when the speaker who said he had shared in the embarrassment equally complained that it appeared the bureaucrats in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not appreciate the fact that the missions are a reflection of the country. Gbajabiamila said he was once in the official car of an ambassador when it broke down and the flag had to be rolled up to hide the identity. He pointed out that many of the official cars, where they exist, are more than 15 years old.

Consequently, the speaker invited the foreign affairs minister, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, for a meeting on the matter. The speaker was miffed that the ministry had the audacity to write the missions to disregard a clause in the 2022 Appropriation Act authorising the missions to expend capital votes without reference to the ministry. He upbraided the ministry for taking the law into its hands when it could have referred whatever reservations it had on the matter to the National Assembly for reconsideration. Mr. Gbajabiamila said it amounted to contempt of the parliament in the same way that contravening a court order is.

We agree with the speaker on this score, but the National Assembly lament is only one step if laws of the land were being flagrantly disregarded. Last year, the House had similarly organised a public hearing on the issue, at the end of which far-reaching decisions were taken. But, what happened thereafter? Nothing has changed. But the ball is in the executive’s court. Unless drastic actions are taken, the contempt would continue. As a first step, we recommend that the House should write the President on the development, strongly expressing its disappointment. Thereafter, if the ministry continues to seize funds due the missions, the two chambers of the National Assembly should exercise their power of appropriation to refuse voting money for the ministry for 2023 until it purged itself of the contempt.

The image of Nigeria has been battered enough. Nigeria is not the poorest country in the world. If, as the speaker pointed out, the money allocated to the ministry is insufficient, it should approach the lawmakers through the Federal Executive Council for supplementary vote. When a clear clause was inserted in the Appropriation Act for the ministry that the missions should be treated as parastatals directly drawing their allocations, this should be accorded the force of law. A situation whereby the cars of ambassadors break down regularly and maintenance work in the missions cannot be undertaken puts the country to shame. The new set of ambassadors are presiding over several months of lack of salary payments. It’s a scandal.

It is unfortunate that Nigerians living abroad or visiting such countries are denied effective service as a result of paucity of funds. At the 2021 public hearing, the minister had said the ministry was considering pruning the number of international organisations to which Nigeria belonged to free funds for essential services, including maintaining our foreign missions. This could be implemented immediately if it would save the day. Some of the missions, too, could be scaled down, while others could be merged if that would help.

Nigeria prides itself as the ‘giant of Africa’; so it deserves to be respected in the comity of nations. A country that fails to pay its rent when due cannot command respect of its creditor and host country. Nor when it cannot pay salaries. This is one challenge that calls for the support of all Nigerians to fix. It should not be delayed any further.

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