A Civil Society Organisation, Mandate for National Values and Integrity in Nigeria (MNVIN), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to step into the ongoing dispute between the Foreign Affairs Minister, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar and Nigerian Ambassadors and High Commissioners in various Foreign Missions.
Describing the situation as a national disgrace, the organisation emphasized the need for a more astute handling of the controversy surrounding the envoys’ tenure, stressing that it should have been resolved in the best interest of the nation.
The group’s position was articulated in a statement released to Media Talk Africa on Friday, signed by Malam Abdul Aliyu and Melford Nwokike, the national coordinator and national secretary, respectively.
The organisation accused the Foreign Affairs Minister of mishandling basic diplomatic protocols, thereby plunging President Tinubu’s administration into a perplexing quagmire.
Current reports indicate a deadlock between the Minister and the recalled Envoys, who are presently stranded in their respective Missions.
This standoff is attributed to the Ministry’s alleged failure to provide the stipulated three months’ notice and remit their passage allowances.
Expressing dismay at the conflicting claims, the CSO urged the President to rein in the Minister’s actions.
The group questioned the Ministry’s reluctance to grant the Envoys’ request for an extension of their terminal date to December 31, instead of October 31, especially when funds were unavailable for their passage allowances.
According to the group, this extension would have allowed the ambassadors’ children to sit for their promotion exams, ensuring an uninterrupted academic calendar and averting a year’s setback in their education, in compliance with the required three-month notice.
“We, therefore, join other well-meaning Nigerians in querying the Minister’s true intentions and his apparent haste to remove the Envoys, despite the inevitable four to six-month process of replacing them,” the statement noted.
Furthermore, the group expressed concern over the Minister’s assertion that the Presidency was unconvinced by the reasons provided for the extension. They questioned whether Mr. Tuggar considered the educational welfare of Nigerian children and the financial constraints at the Missions as insufficient grounds for the extension.
“We are troubled that Tuggar, a recent Ambassador to Germany, did not effectively leverage his wealth of experience for the positive administration of the Foreign Affairs Ministry,” the statement lamented.
Investigations revealed that while the Foreign Service Regulation mandates a three months’ notice for diplomats to conclude their tenure upon recall, the Ambassadors were only provided with a two-month notice, contrary to regulations, the statement highlighted.
“We call on His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and dismiss the Minister if he fails to resign, in order to halt this disturbing turn of events,” the group demanded.
They also cited a memo instructing junior officers at Foreign Missions to evict the diplomats from their residences and offices, as well as restrict their use of official vehicles, deeming it “appalling, reprehensible and capable of bringing shame to the nation in the international community.”
Additionally, they reported that Regulation 26.3 stipulates a three-month notice for an officer before being posted abroad or recalled, allowing for the officer to conclude their affairs. Regulation 26.4 mandates that such recall coincides with the school year to enable the officer to arrange their children’s schooling.
The group asserted that the diplomatic imbroglio was adversely affecting Nigeria’s business and diplomatic engagements, hindering the realization of the 4Ds (Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora) foreign policy strategy under the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.
