The leadership of the House of Representatives, on Monday, grilled the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, over an order to Nigerian embassies, high commission and other foreign missions not to implement a clause in the 2022 Appropriation Act that allows them to spend their revenue on capital projects.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, chaired the closed-door meeting with Onyeama where the minister was grilled.
Gbajabiamila had invited the minister to the meeting over an order by the ministry to Nigerian foreign missions not to implement the clause and revert to the headquarters for funding.
A member of the House, Kasimu Maigari, had moved a motion of urgent public importance to raise the alarm, urging the chamber to ensure that the ministry complies with provisions of the Act.
It was titled ‘A Motion Calling on the Federal Government to Mandatorily Compel the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Implement the Provision of the 2022 Appropriations Act (S.11), which Empowers Nigeria Embassies/ High Commissions Across the World to Spend the Capital Components of their Budgets Without Recourse to the Headquarters of the Ministry.’
Consequently, the House unanimously adopted the motion, directing the ministry to “expressly comply with the provision of Section 11 of the 2022 Appropriations Act (Power of Nigerian Embassies and Missions) and report such compliance to the House within one week.”
The House also asked the ministry to “rescind contents of the letter countering an earlier letter written by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to the Honourable Minister and the embassies/high commissions to request compliance with the provisions of Section 11 of the 2022 Appropriations Act.”
Before the meeting went behind closed doors, Gbajabiamila stated that the Appropriation Act is a law that must be obeyed.
Gbajabiamila noted that it was the conditions of the foreign missions that made the lawmakers to “insert a clause that would allow these people remove the red tape; remove the bureaucratic red tape and allow these people to do what they need to do.”
The Speaker pointed out that the lawmakers did a lot of “research and homework” before making the provision in the Act.
Earlier, Onyeama appreciated the lawmakers for “the opportunity for us to sit around the table to discuss these issues.”
The minister said, “I think at the end of the day, what I can say is that from the executive side and the legislative side, we are all essentially here to promote the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. That is our guiding principle and philosophy and that is what we would do to the best of our ability.
“Thank you for convening this meeting. Hopefully, it would be something that would enable us and all of the country to move forward in the best interest of our citizens.”
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
