House Probes Visa, Employment Racketeering in Foreign Affairs Ministry, Missions

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The House of Representatives has resolved to probe visa and employment racketeering in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and missions.

The resolution of the House was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Ben Etanabene at the plenary on Thursday.

Presenting the motion, the lawmaker said the federal government has set in motion reforms for effective service delivery in the Ministry of foreign Affairs, Parastatals and the Missions.

He explained that government has put in place a clearly defined Foreign Policy thrust of Democracy, Development, Demography and Diaspora known as 4Ds to usher in a new foreign policy focus for the country,

Etanabene added in spite of several stepstaken by the House to ensure that the reforms and policy thrust comes to fruition for the good of the country, Nigerians around the world are faced with a general and urgent Consular Services Challenge

The lawmaker decried that many Nigerians are illegally held or imprisoned in foreign countries and often under harsh conditions that might lead to loss of lives if urgent actions are not taken.

Etanabene pointed out that many Nigerians students are stranded in foreign land over issues that could be resolved, while many Nigerians owned businesses around the world helping in contributing to the economy of those countries and sending remittances back home are suffering harassment and sabotage.

He lamented that many Nigerians go through extreme difficulties to secure visas for legitimate travels including government officials and legislators after paying exorbitant visa fees.

Etanabene regretted that embassies in a bid to ease visa application processes have resulted to outsourcing the processes to agents whose cost of services are borne by Nigerians.

He said there were several modes of visa applications are in force including express services with huge cost paid by applicants who are sometimes denied visas after such payments.

The lawmaker noted: “Conscious that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in addition to budgetary allocations, benefits from intervention funds, for running the affairs of the ministry and missions as well as the internally generated revenue by several missions around the world with questions over effective and efficient utilization over the years.

“The committee had received several complaints regarding issues of employment in the ministry and missions, appointments, postings, redeployment and disciplinary issues that affect morale and service delivery.”

Etanabene said the country has property and assets across the world under various missions, many underutilised and several others abandoned which if properly audited and harnessed would enhance efficiency of the Foreign Service Officers and increase the revenue that is generated by the federal government.

He further lamented that in a lot of missions, local staff ceiling had been exceeded due to violation of rules and in some instances, the ceiling of Foreign Service Officers, saying this has further resulted in indebtedness in the respective missions.

“If these issues are not investigated and appropriate and urgent actions taken by the House, it may lead to loss of lives and properties, further difficulties in visa and consular services home and abroad, malfeasance and waste, inefficiency and loss of revenue, poor implementation of the government reforms, 4Ds policy thrust,” Etanabene said.

The House, therefore, mandated its Committee on Foreign Affairs to investigate and report back within three weeks.