The absence of statutory cabinet, more than three months after President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in, leaves Nigeria’s diplomatic services in quandary, writes Correspondent, SAM NWOKORO
Nigeria’s diplomatic service for now is in embarrassing limbo. If at all anything resembling work is going on at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it certainly is without focus. For a bureaucracy rooted in order and precise compliance from top to bottom, the absence of a supervising minister whose signature is the only seal of governmental authority recognisable in Nigeria’s diplomatic missions abroad and other nation’s embassies in Nigeria could only amount to embarrassing jigsaw to stakeholders: immigrants and emigrants alike.
More than three months after President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office, the only action he has taken on the diplomatic front is the recall of some ambassadors he feels do not fit into his ‘Change’ mantra. More than a month after their recall, nothing has been heard regarding their possible replacement or the new ones he would certainly have to recruit which past governments had said need to be upgraded.
Mum seems to be the word regarding Nigeria’s foreign policy priorities since he assumed office, though he has visited not less than four countries in Africa plus high level state visits to United States and the G8 Summit in Germany. Also, not less than 10 ambassadors resident in Nigeria has paid him the normal diplomatic visit, including all of the major world military and economic powers. Their solidarity visits to Buhari shortly after he was sworn in is a statement of their readiness to relate to his government seriously. But Nigeria is yet to have a Foreign Minister. Only the permanent secretaries in the ministries are acting as ministers.
But in the nature of civil service bureaucracy, they do not attend Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings. So it is like they just receive briefs from presidency whenever the president finds it convenient to issue one directive or another. The actual monitoring and execution of foreign policy agenda possibly is in low key, as there is yet to be a substantive minister. But how soon would the ministry, which international relations scholars have at many times said need rejigging, get one?
Recall of ambassadors
Last month, the Mr. President recalled nearly two dozen ambassadors. There have been no serious explanations publicly issued by government on reasons for their removal. Some of those recalled are ambassadors in strategic places Nigeria cannot afford to toy with because of trade flows and Nigeria’s developmental needs. The sheer volume of interaction that go on at private and official levels between nationals and institutions of those countries and Nigeria, according to international relations scholars, are such that Nigeria has to keep the pace and keep track of issues. Some of the Nigerian embassies abroad with vacancy include the underlisted.
U.S.
Professor Adebowale Adefuye, representing Nigeria in the United States (U.S.), was one of the ambassadors recalled as soon as Buhari assumed office. But when Buhari wanted to visit U.S., he needed an envoy there, so Adefuye was reinstated. Washington was very instrumental in the peaceful conclusion of Nigeria’s last general election that produced Buhari. She also was the first country to extend a state visit invitation to the president, extending $5 million assistance for the prosecution of the war against insurgency in the North East.
The president has also hosted U.S. ambassador to Nigeria. A white paper released by the Bureau of African Affairs’ Facts Sheet of the U.S. Department of States regarding Washington’s relations with Nigeria dated December 9, 2014 restated what could pass as Big Sam’s focus in the relationship with Nigeria thus: “United States seeks to help improve the economic stability, security and wellbeing of Nigerians by strengthening democratic institutions, improving transparency and accountability, and professionalising security forces.
U.S. assistance also aims to reinforce local and national systems, build institutional capacity in the provision of health and education services, and support improvements in agricultural productivity, job expansion in the rural sector and increased supplies of clean energy. A partnership among the U.S., the United Kingdom, Nigeria and international organisations to focus on improved governance, non-oil economic growth and human development ensures closer coordination of donor activities, more effective support and greater impact for ordinary citizens.”
It is the view of international scholars that such encompassing relationship template is worth courting seriously. Thus the need for pragmatic relationship.
UK
Apart from Britain being Nigeria’s colonial lord, Nigeria-British relations is such that should not be handled on ad-hoc basis. The absence of a substantive ambassador for Nigeria in London does not register positively in the perception of global community. It portrays the ruling party as not knowing what to do with the victory it obtained at the polls, though the president has tried to pretend that it does not matter.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce pledged recently to increase the present level of trade which stood at £8 billion (about N2.5 trillion) as at the end of 2014 to £15 billion by 2020.
Besides, UK also facilitated the attendance of the president at the June Spring Summit of the G7. This shows the level of British strategic interest in Nigeria which needs serious attention, according to informed followers of the Buhari tenure.
UN
The United Nations (UN) is another strategic international organisation in which Nigeria has strategic interest. Every nation has a permanent representative at the UN. Nigeria’s position at the UN mission is still vacant since the recall of Professor Joy Ogwu, though the UN Annual General Assembly meets next month. According to Dr. John Okoroafor, a political science lecturer who did not want his institution mentioned, “the president’s inability to constitute a cabinet affects our diplomatic missions. In the absence of a substantive Minister of Foreign affairs, there is obvious gap to be filled in terms of formulating policy direction and even keeping the presidency up to date on issues with our external relations.”
He stressed the importance of bilateral treaties which take place more often in bilateral relations and which require the signatory of a substantive minister and not head of departments, as the government seems now, to rely on in day-to-day governance.
Kuwait
This is another important country where most Nigerians, especially business people, travel all the time. The Nigerian Ambassador to Kuwait was among those recalled. The absence of an ambassador in the Islamic kingdom would also, in the reckoning of observers, affect the condition of the Nigerian community there.
Other notable countries where Nigeria’s embassy spots vacancy such as Canada, Spain, Ireland and the Vatican spot a huge number of Nigerians. Most South Easterners ply their commerce route from Libya to Spain. Most of them, even in the entire Southern Nigeria perform their regular pilgrimage to Vatican City – a city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy – the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. In this season of pilgrimages, the absence of an ambassador in Vatican may not register well in the consciousness of the Christian community. The former ambassador in that country, Francis Okeke, coordinated pilgrimages to that holy land well while he was there. Pilgrims will miss him so much, more so if there is no replacement before the Christian pilgrimage late September.
Issues demanding attention
There are a lot of issues demanding attention in Nigeria’s foreign policy as itemised by this weekly in previous editions. One of such as complained by scholars is the issue of lack of focus in pursuing Nigeria’s foreign policy.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to most scholars mentioned in those past editions, has people who are not abreast with developments around the world as it concerns Nigeria. They made calls for appointment of technocrats who are in the know of Nigeria’s needs from other countries of the world. They also demanded the appointment of non-civil servants and politicians who are not career diplomats.
Another issue for which a minister of foreign affairs is direly needed is the issue of rampant killing of Nigerians in foreign lands. Almost on daily basis, one Nigerian is executed by one foreign government or another on charges that are poorly investigated or adjudicated, even without the courtesy of passing information to relatives, the Nigerian Embassy or the home Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There are concerns that the non-availability of a foreign minister or ambassador in those countries compounds the bad perception that Nigeria does not bother about what happens to her subjects.
Equally demanding urgent attention is the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians abroad which has not abated in such countries as South Africa, notwithstanding claims that it has ended after the major wave that took place in March and April this year.
According to Okorofor, the Buhari government still has to be visible in the international arena, especially with the huge expectation on him by the world.
There is still the issue of meeting Nigeria’s commitment to the international organisations to which Nigeria is still signatory. Nigeria, as has been canvassed by many stakeholders, needs to devise a sustainable foreign policy focus that will guide her relationship with the larger European Union (EU) bloc more than the individual member countries since the EU shares many political/economic policies as a bloc. The absence of a ministry and the long time it has taken to appoint ambassadors in those countries of EU stymies serious relationship, according to observers.
Pursuit of foreign loot
Also suffering from the delay in the appointment of ministers is the recovery of loot which the president is currently chasing all over the world. The position of a minister, no doubt, helps the recovery effort, as the promises he got from fellow heads of state in that direction would require the imprimatur of a Minister of Foreign Affairs and that of the attorney-general.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri, entered into many bi-lateral agreements with many countries such as Israel. Implementing these protocols would obviously also require the imprimatur of a cabinet member.
Foreign investment
The president is currently doing all the leg walk and talking in the chase for foreign capital into the economy. The government’s many public-private partnership (PPP) projects, which are currently being executed, were signed on behalf of government by cabinet members. In a fast-changing world of business, time is of essence.
Time lag, according to informed opinions, affects contract agreements, even time breach in remittance of counterpart funding. All these make it very apposite for the government of President Buhari, according to international relations scholars, to hasten the appointment of cabinet members, especially that of foreign affairs and economy to give his government the needed democratic texture it seems to be lacking.