TUGGAR IN COLD “WAR” WITH NIGERIAN FOREIGN MISSIONS.

• – Says Presidency Not Convinced to Extend Deadline*

THERE is uneasy calm in Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry as the Minister, Alhaji Yusufu Tugga is said to have engaged in a cold war with the Nigerian Ambassadors and High Commissioners since the envoys complained of non remittance of their due allowances for over five months now.

The media had last week reported the precarious situation confronting the Nigerian Ambassadors and High Commissioners in various Foreign Missions including threats by various service providers to take the Nigerian Foreign Missions to court for non payment of service charges.

The Ambassadors, consequently raised alarm calling on the attention of Mr President to intervene before the entire nation was embarrassed.

The reports further disclosed that the Ambassadors appealed to Mr President to extend the October 31 deadline which had earlier been set for their recall to enable their children and wards take their promotion exams and consequently streamline the academic calendar in order not to truncate their education by dropping a year

But since the news of the extension of the October deadline authoritatively filtered into the media, the Honourable Minister Of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Yusufu Tugga swiftly and in a commando manner rushed to the media to announce in the contrary that the October 31 deadline was sacrosanct and further placed embargo on the foreign Missions Accounts for what he described as ” to check frivolous spending by the Ambassadors “

The Minister in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Strategic Communication, Alkasim Abdulkadre claimed that there was no directive from the Presidency to extend the exit date of the Ambassadors.

But analysts strongly believe that issues as crucial as that of the affairs of the Nigerian Foreign Missions cannot be reported in the media authoritatively without atom of facts.

For Prof. Ekanere Jonathan, ” the Minister cannot claim that there is no extension of the deadline and at the same time it was reported in various national reputable media outfits. lf he is sure of he is saying, l challenge him to sue those media outfits to court.

DID TUGGAR ACCUSE PRESIDENCY OF INSENSITIVITY?

The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs in the said statement by his aide was quoted as saying that the Presidency was not convinced on the excuse giving to extend the stay of the Ambassadors.

Analysts, therefore are asking questions as to whether the education of the children and wards of the Ambassadors as well as financial bankruptcy were not enough reasons for such extension.

ln a telephone chat with our reporter, an lnternational Relations Consultant, Dr. Bright lheme frowned at the disposition of the Minister in that regard pointing out that such statement could mean direct accusation on Mr President for insensitivity. He further queried whether Bola Amed Tinubu is not really bothered that the children of over 109 Nigeria families will waste their full academic year while any responsible government places premium concerns to the acceleration of his citizens education

Dr. lheme wondered why Alhaji Tugga who was until his present appointment an Ambassador who ought to have deployed his weight of experience in the management of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in positive directions could place his selfish ego above that of the nation which according to him “runs contrary to the oath of Allegiance which he swore to”

Iheme further noted that the Foreign Service Regulation provides three months notice to diplomats to wind up at post when recalled but in the contrary 2 months was given to the Ambassadors and wondered what could be his reasons, he challenged him to present a superior reason against the extension more importantly as the process of appointing new ambassadors are yet to commence not to mention that the earliest to conclude the process of deploying new envoys is 4 to 6 months for Africa countries and more for Europe, Assia and so on.

Meanwhile, observers strongly believe that the outcry of the Ambassadors may have irked the powers that be in the Foreign Affairs Ministry but what might be the outcome of the “war” is left for time to tell.