BY Fredrick Nwabufo
President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration will undertake a review of Nigeria’s foreign missions to determine those that are really essential.
Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, said the president disclosed this on Tuesday after being briefed by Bulus Lolo, permanent secretary of the ministry of foreign affairs. He added that a presidential committee will soon be established to carry out the review.
“The president said that the review would determine the number of essential missions Nigeria needs to maintain abroad so that appropriate standards and quality can be maintained,” Adesina quoted Buhari as telling Lolo and other officials of the ministry of foreign affairs.
“The president said that there was no point in Nigeria operating missions all over the world ‘with dilapidated facilities and demoralised staff’ when the need for some of the missions was questionable.
“Let’s keep only what we can manage. We can’t afford much for now. There’s no point in pretending.
“The president also called for the record of former government officials and other persons still using diplomatic and official passports illegally, saying that his administration will take necessary action against them.
“Something has to be done so that we can get back our respectability as a country. Some people carry official passports and get involved in all sorts of negative acts. We need to do something about it.”
According to Adesina, Lolo listed the challenges facing the ministry of foreign affairs to include absence of a foreign service commission, poor funding of foreign missions, policy inconsistencies and training deficiencies, among others.
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