IT is alarming that despite the country’s dire financial straits, Nigeria’s foreign missions spent over N13 billion without appropriation in flagrant contravention of extant financial regulations. Routinely, the law forbidding expenditure on any subhead of the recurrent estimates more than the approved estimates or supplementary estimates without the prior approval of the National Assembly is brazenly ignored. At home and abroad, fiscal indiscipline, corruption and impunity reign in Nigeria’s public service. These abuses should be stamped out by effective oversight and the criminal prosecution of offenders.
A report by the Auditor-General for the Federation on the foreign missions and the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 2010 and 2019 exposed a pattern of extra-budgetary expenses by many missions and failure to remit revenue generated to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.
Diplomatic missions are important in advancing a favourable national image and interests. As recognised under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a mission’s basic functions include representing and protecting the interests of its home country and citizens, developing commercial, economic, cultural and scientific relations, and issuing passports, visas and other travel documents. The comportment of mission staff impacts a country’s reputation.
Nigerian missions have often been in the news for failure to protect Nigerians abroad, comply with host countries’ laws and for incurring debt. The AuGF’s report confirms that envoys have also exported the prevailing national culture of corruption, extravagance and impunity.
The over 450-page document stated that efforts to audit the accounts of some of the missions were rebuffed by staff of such embassies, at the behest of top officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is an intolerable affront to public accountability.
The report cited the Nigerian Embassy property in Brasilia that is in a dilapidated condition but spends $50,247.89 annually on rent for just two of its officials. The amount spent on rent for three years could have been used to renovate the buildings and cut costs, the report added. The embassy also exchanged six old vehicles for two new ones at a total cost of $95,211, while an additional $17,642.08 was spent on shipment, insurance and clearing of the new vehicles without budgetary authorisation.
Another query alleged that in 2010, the then Nigerian Ambassador to Poland claimed over N9.77 million for fictitious domestic staff. In 2011, the Nigerian Ambassador to France allegedly spent over N1.75 million on “entertainment of guests, haircuts, manicure, hair colouring and cost of ticket to Nigeria for consultation.” The AuGF described these as “very private expenses that should not have been borne by public funds.”
Nigerian embassy staff in Paris allegedly printed official receipt booklets to collect and divert government revenue, contrary to regulations stipulating that “under no circumstances shall temporary or privately printed receipts be utilised for the collection of government revenue.”
There is more; embassy staff in Washington D.C., USA, sold government properties and used the proceeds to open a ‘Property Account.’ From there, they made transfers for personal use. Similar malfeasance was reported at missions in the Netherlands and Germany.
The profligacy and corruption is emblematic of the large-scale theft under successive administrations. That public officials could block the OAuGF’s access to the missions’ books suggests connivance. Those culprits should be made to account for every missing kobo.
As expected, the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has commenced investigations into the report, which also detailed the deplorable conditions of the nation’s missions across the world, particularly the deteriorating state of properties, which has become an international embarrassment to Nigeria. At the heart of the rot is the government’s lack of vision in articulating clear strategies in the maintenance of the missions.
Additionally, the various missions’ buildings are under-utilised and poorly managed. For instance, the 22-storey ‘Nigeria House’ in New York is in a deplorable state. Yet, in 2013, it expended N221.08 million on “utility bills” and “maintenance.”
The arbitrary engagement of staff by the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom and infidelity to laid down Foreign Service protocols on employment should stop. Expending an average of £226,974.80 monthly on the remuneration of the local staff, compared to the £74,108.38 spent on the home-based officers, has to be explained.
Conversely, the underfunding of some missions is negatively impacting the country’s foreign policy and diplomatic interests. In the last seven years, Nigeria budgeted less than N220 billion for its foreign missions. Poor funding has prevented some routine diplomatic obligations and impacted negatively on their ability to cater for the welfare of Nigerians abroad, officials say.
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, admitted to this before a House of Representatives committee in 2020. In the revised 2020 budget, N60.2 billion was allocated to the ministry, down from N75.4 billion initially proposed. In 2021, the N65.1 billion earmarked for foreign missions.
Experts say poor funding of the missions portrays lack of seriousness and purpose. Foreign policy is within the domain of the President and the vibrancy of foreign policy implementation depends on the occupant’s vision.
Reducing Nigeria’s diplomatic footprint in some countries of less strategic importance to the country is strongly recommended, taking national interests—trade, investment, or other bilateral focus—into consideration.
In 2012, Canada and the UK signed a deal to have joint diplomatic missions, a move designed to cut costs yet extend both countries’ diplomatic reach. Some experts, including the non-profit, Independent Diplomat, argue that advances in information and telecommunications technology make maintaining many costly foreign missions inadvisable, especially for financially stressed countries. Nigeria’s missions should be drastically reduced to save costs, accompanied by a return to professionalism and accountability.
Beyond the probes, NASS should effective oversight and adequate budgetary funding. The ministry should adhere to financial rules and put stringent internal controls in place to prevent fraud. All those who defrauded the government should be prosecuted and all their ill-gotten assets recovered.
