Nigerian diplomats in Europe, Americas stranded •Use Ghanaians as fronts to secure accommodation •As FG owes them salaries, allowances

Written by Taiwo Adisa Tuesday, 23 October 2012

President Goodluck Jonathan

NIGERIA’S foreign service officials have become the laughing stocks of the diplomatic world in Europe and the Americas following the failure of the home government to remit their salaries and allowances to them as and when due.Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that in most parts of Europe and the Americas, Nigerian diplomats now have to resort to using Ghanaians as fronts when looking for accommodation because most landlords refuse to let their houses to Nigerians.
The issue, according to sources especially in Switzerland, Italy, Canada, United States and Germany, has to do with the failure of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to remit the salaries and allowances of the foreign service staff to the respective embassies and high commissions on time.
Right now, sources confirmed that Nigerian diplomats across Europe and the Americas are being owed minimum of two months salaries and allowances.
Sources confirmed that the plight of the foreign service staff was further compounded by the fact that they cannot utilise the earnings of their respective embassies from visa applications on ways and means.
Investigations further revealed that most embassies and high commissions are compelled to use the resources they make from visa applications to offset salaries of local staff and pay for services, while the Nigerian officials are left to fend for themselves until Abuja releases funds.
The case of Canada was said to have got worse in recent weeks, forcing Ambassador Ojo Maduekwe to run to Abuja to hold talks with President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gbenga Asiru, to avoid total closure of the High Commission in Canada.
Nigerian Tribune further gathered that Maduekwe’s decision was borne out of feelers that the High Commission might be shut down by Canadian officials if it defaulted on payment for services.
Sources confirmed that for embassies and high commissions with huge population of Nigerians, the stress could be less because they could still have some resources to handle their ways and means after paying local staff.
“The problems confronting Nigerian diplomats are many. Their salaries are delayed; they are often left to fend for themselves in foreign lands. The problem is further compounded by the fact that the embassies cannot afford to owe their local staff, whether Abuja releases money or not. The embassies have to pay salaries and for telephones, water and other services. Those are not negotiable. As for the foreign service staff, they are left on their own,” a source in the know said.
 It was gathered that the practice of delaying funds for the running of Nigerian embassies and high commissions across the world has been a long standing issue and that many times, the diplomats are owed five months salaries.
Sources said that the situation for Nigerian diplomats in Geneva and Switzerland has gone worse as many of them now have to get houses using Ghanaians as fronts.
“What happens is that the landlords no longer let out their houses to Nigerians because they default. So a Nigerian will have to gather his money, look for a Ghanaian who will pay for a house on his behalf and sign the agreement with the landlord before transferring the house to the Nigerian, who gave him the money. It is that bad,” the source said.
A source further said that many Nigerian diplomats had heaved a sigh of relief when the current Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Marthin Umhouibi, was appointed on the strength of the fact that he was formerly an ambassador in Europe and had experienced similar difficulties while in foreign service. The source, however, added that the situation has improved a bit but that there was only a reduction from five months arrears of salaries to two.