I lived in hotel for one year as Spain ambassador – Bianca Ojukwu
By Jeffrey Agbo
Ministerial nominee, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has said that while she was Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain, she lived in a hotel for a year because of the sorry state of the Nigerian embassy in Madrid.
Bianca stated this on Wednesday while being screened for her nomination as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
“I would like to say that my past records speak for me,” said Bianca, “As an ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain, I spent an entire year in one hotel room because when I got to Spain, the mission building was in such an appalling condition.”
She recounted that the building’s ruin was particularly embarrassing given its location.
“The embassy was located very close to the upscale estate of Galagao, where people would pass by on their way to various events and matches.
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“It was disheartening that this decadent structure represented Nigeria in such a prestigious area,” she stated.
Bianca explained that she took immediate steps to address the issues, organising significant repairs and preservation efforts to overhaul not only the mission building but also the ambassador’s residence and other Nigerian-owned property in Spain.
“The Nigerian embassy in Madrid that you see today is the product of my time in that country,” she said, noting that her focus was to restore Nigeria’s image to one that “truly deserves a designation of outstanding.”
She also highlighted the ongoing challenges Nigerian embassies face worldwide due to limited funding, which often constrains ambassadors in performing much-needed maintenance.
Emphasising the importance of respectable diplomatic representations, Bianca urged the Nigerian government to prioritise embassy maintenance under the current administration.