Nigeria Needs To Fund Foreign Affairs Better, Says Ambassador Sule

In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Nigeria’s former envoy to Indonesia, Ambassador Ibrahim Mai Sule, said the issue of funding is integral for the foreign affairs ministry to be more effective.

He said, “We need to look at the funding of the mission which is very important because once the image of the mission is being battered, you can hardly do anything.

“It affects the image of both the country and then the representative of the country.

“There is a need at this periodical period that we are in to try to see that we should understand what we’re likely going to get from the country that you are representing. We can put some of them together, reduce the number of people around those places.”

In addition to this, he emphasised the importance of assessing the calibre of individuals, taking into account their background, and gaining a clear understanding of the potential contributions they can offer.

Sule also mentioned that the process of improvement would however commence from a weak base due to the ongoing litigations in the nation.

“I believe the National Assembly should be very careful so that next time, they should try to look at the issue of getting people inaugurated when you have disposed of at least the first round of litigation.

“One would have thought that the government would be inaugurated after all legal disputes had been put in place.

“But be it as it may, they must have got their own reason for doing it, and I believe there is a need to at least restructure the operations in the foreign affairs.”

He emphasised the need for significant internal efforts within the nation before progressing further.

President Bola Tinubu had recently issued an order for the return of all diplomats, both career and non-career, currently stationed in various foreign nations.

Following this, Sule suggested that there must have been a rationale behind the president’s intentions, but he believed it would have been simpler to begin with the political appointees. 

He said, “It is at the discretion of the president to recall the ambassadors at any time of his own wish, and then appoint those he believes will represent him more effectively.”

“Whether there is a crisis or not, the fact is very clear that he has the power to do the same, and he can recall them.”

Frances Ibiefo

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