80 Nigerian foreign missions shut out of capital votes

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

Eighty out of 130 Nigerian foreign missions are currently on recession due to paucity of funds as capital votes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are not forthcoming.

This revelation was made by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Mustapha Suleiman on Wednesday during the 2019 budget defence of the ministry before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs in Abuja

He lamented that the N4.123 billion capital votes proposed for the missions for the 2019 fiscal year out of the entire N7.6 billion proposed for the entire ministry, can only cover 30 out of the 110 missions abroad critically in need of such funding.

He further revealed that one of the most worrisome of the level of dilapidation the affected embassies are facing arising from inadequate funding over the years, is the toilet of the Nigerian Embassy in Moscow, Russia, stinking as a result of non -functionality of the flusher.

According to him, the N4.123 billion capital vote proposed for the 110 missions abroad, is a far cry from N11.333 billion earmarked in 2018, signifying reduction of N7.209 billion or 64 per cent.

“As a result of this, only 30 missions could be considered out of 110 missions for purchase of representational car, renovation/completion of ongoing projects. On a general note, it is pertinent to mention that the capital budget proposal for the ministry is grossly inadequate to cater for the line items.

“It is imperative to state that the budget ceiling brought down the capital budget from the 2018 appropriation level of N20.198 billion to N7.618 billion representing a 62 per cent reduction,” he added.

Members of the committee headed by Senator Monsurat Sunmonu (ADC/Oyo Central), raised serious concerns on how the ministry in spite of the sorry state of Nigerian missions abroad, came up with the meagre budgetary proposals for 2019.