OBIORA METU
The House of Representatives on Thursday invited the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Goeffrey Onyeama, and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry Amb.Gabriel Aduda to explain the alleged breach of the 2021 Appropriation Act.
The House Speaker Hon.Femi Gbajabiamila stated this while responding to a motion under matters of urgent National importance moved by a member from Taraba State,Hon Kasimu Maigari, at plenary.
The motion was on the urgent need to address the alleged breach in the appropriation Act by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and challenges being encountered at the nation’s Embassies and High Commissions across the world.
Leading the debate,Hon. Maigari, alleged that the ministry circumvent the provisions of the appropriation act by directing Nigerian missions to ignore the act and go ahead with their normal budget implementation pattern.
Maigari said there is need for the ministry to implement the provision of 2022 appropriation Act which empowers Nigerian Embassies and High Commission across the world to spend the capital component of their budget without recourse to the headquarters of the ministry.
The lawmaker stated that Nigerian foreign missions and serving officers have been at the receiving end of the negative effect of the actions and inactions of the ministry, which has resulted in hampering the activities of the missions.
Contributing to the debate, the Chairman House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Yusuf Buba, described the state of Nigerian embassies as an eye sore.
Buba, alleged that most of the ambassadors write to the ministry to register their complaints only to have their letters ignored.
The Speaker,Hon Femi Gbajabiamila in his ruling said the 2022 Appropriation Act did not say
that embassies should spend their funds directly.
Gbajabiamila, added that the constitutional provisions should be followed in the matter, which is for the National Assembly to make law for money to be spent and how it should be spent.
