We Must Do Something About Dilapidated Nigerian Embassies Abroad – Shehu Sani

Senator Shehu Sani has come out to highlight the need for an economic review of the dilapidated state of Nigerian Embassies abroad.

He recently had his say via a statement, and Nigerians have been reacting.

According to him, this move is absolutely key to avoid colossal loss of foreign missions, and the economic consequences of the dilapidated state of Nigerian embassies abroad to the country on funding repairs of such missions will be enormous.

He added that Nigeria has been renting about 60 per cent of the nation’s embassies abroad, and this is very costly in the face of ongoing challenges currently faced in the country.

His words, “I found out that we have been renting about 60 per cent of Nigerian embassies abroad, some existed far back as 1960 and we are still unable to buy a house in those countries.”

“From my observation, diplomatic staff have been fleecing this country in the name of paying rents; they prefer Nigeria to keep renting houses, rather than buying a building as an embassy.”

“In the past, everything about the embassy is in the Foreign Affairs ministry, but during the era of Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Ambassadors go to the Minister of Finance for them to be funded.”

“As such, it left the foreign affairs ministry with little or no choice on the embassy other than posting of diplomatic staff.”

“Everything about the embassy should go back to the foreign affairs ministry; we should have targets, every year we should buy 10 buildings, so that in five to six years, we are no more renting.”

“There are some buildings that we may not need; we have to trade them off and put those ones away.”

“I learnt we have a residence for Nigeria’s permanent representatives in New York and that residence has not been used for decades.”

“If that residence has not been used for decades, we have no reason to keep that building, we need to sell it off, use the proceeds and buy other properties in other countries.”