Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The decision by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to recall about 40 non career ambassadors serving in various countries of the world has attracted widespread condemnation from a cross section of Nigerians who described the action as untimely and dangerous to the health and wellbeing of the families of those affected.
The ministry had, last week, issued a notice to the affected non career diplomats to start winding up and return to Nigeria by the end of July 2020, even though they had only served two and half years of their three years renewable tenures.
Mr Iliyasu Maikada, an Abuja based Lawyer who spoke on the issue with our correspondent observed that the timing of recalling the ambassadors was wrong because of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
“The timing of this recall is simply appalling. We suspect that some people are, in their usual tactics, out to destroy the administration of President Buhari. The implication of this decision is that the country will not have representation in these countries for a long period of time since every nation is now focusing on the fight against COVID-19 and may not have the time for background check and clearance of new ambassadors posted by Nigeria to their respective missions.
“Most of the affected Ambassadors barely spent two and half years in the country of posting and the administration is a continuing Government so why the haste in recalling them if there is no hidden agenda by the minister of foreign affairs and his team.
“Similarly, the recall was selective because, while some were asked to come back, others were spared without reasons. They are putting the lives of families of those affected in danger and trying to jeopardize the efforts of the federal government in containing the deadly COVID-19 that is still ravaging the world.
“Apart from that, the decision was insensitive to the plight of their children who must have been enrolled in schools of their host countries. They would now have to abruptly abandon such schools since they never anticipated to be recalled this early” he said.
In a separate interview, Mr. Ignatius Thomas, an Abuja based political analyst pointed out that the timing of the decision was not only wrong, but that the ministry of foreign affairs was not mindful of the economic implications of the venture.
“While other serious countries are trying to reduce the cost of governance our own Ministry was increasing its own by embarking on wasteful exercises. You are recalling non career ambassadors amidst petitions and criticisms of recent appointments of career ambassadors.
“We understand several petitions and counter arguments have been trailing the nomination of the career ambassadors recently sent to the National Assembly. It is alleged that many of the nominees as career diplomats are either girlfriends, relatives of highly placed Nigerian politicians, or non indigenes of states they claimed to represent.
“So when the set of non career ambassadors, who are undoubtedly members of the APC ruling party, carefully selected by stakeholders, slated for recall are deployed back what would be the fate of our foreign missions?” he observed.
He said with the current global lockdown that was already taking its toll on the world economy while international flights were still suspended, the affected diplomats and their families may be stranded for a long time abroad because there is no hope in sight for resumption of flights soon.
In her comments, a female civil servant who is familiar with the workings of the foreign ministry but who does not want her name in print, lamented lack of professionalism in the handling of the country’s foreign policy.
She opined that ” if the intention of the ministry is to appoint new political ambassadors, how long do they think it would take them to secure an agreement when countries are battling to save the lives of their citizens from COVID-19.
She said most of the foreign missions have not received funding for upwards of three months, and wondered why the irrational decision to recall ambassadors at this time knowing fully well the financial implications of such an action.
“With this singular unprofessional act, the Foreign Affairs Minister and his team are at the verge of destroying the long standing relationship with our political allies”, she said.
One of the ambassadors who spoke to our correspondent in confidence lamented that the “recall is not only ill timed but also smirks of insensitivity on the part of the minister who thinks nothing of the plight of the ambassadors and their families that would be seriously distabilised by the sudden action and the strain of coping with the global COVID-19 pandemic that has already stretched people’s limits to breaking points”. He however expressed hope that the minister would “quickly have a rethink and reverse this unpopular move.”