FG approves N13.4bn to settle foreign missions’ debts

Posted by admin Latest Politics Tuesday, November 27th, 2012

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that a total of N13.395bn has been approved for the settlement of debts incurred by the nation’s foreign missions.

Another N1.3bn was approved for the posting of ambassadors in 2013, while the sum of N3bn was earmarked for the upgrading of the country’s mission house in New York, United States.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, told the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs on Monday that even though the entire amount was approved by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Ministry of Finance had reduced it to N13bn, leaving a shortfall of N395m.

He said the envelop system had grossly affected its aspirations to perform its responsibilities in the international scene, and called on the committee to intervene in improving the ministry’s budget.

Ashiru said a total of N47bn was earmarked for the ministry in 2013, even though it had proposed N103bn to execute its diplomatic assignments.

He said the cut in the amount proposed would grossly affect the performance of the ministry in the area of foreign affairs.

The minister said, “In the draft 2013 budget presented to this distinguished National Assembly by Mr. President, the Budget Office of the Federation and Federal Ministry of Finance inadvertently omitted he entire budget proposals for the following three Nigerian missions and agency: Budapest, Pretoria, Istanbul and the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.

“Besides the omission of the missions mentioned above, there are other missions that do not have 2013 overhead budget provisions, though they have personnel budgets. It would be appreciated if the 2013 overhead is provided for them.”

Ashiru also complained about the poor release of funds for the completion of the ministry’s headquarters building, saying that there had been unanticipated lapses in the project.

He said, “Paucity of funds has adversely affected the rectification of these lapses as the contractors are owed various sums of money. The outstanding debts to these contractors could not be captured within the capital envelop.

“Besides, ICT/Global Communication Network sub-projects, security equipment (bomb detector, CCTV camera, etc) and insurance for the new building are still ongoing. For instance, the ministry will require a minimum of N1.5bn in 2013 to execute the next phase of the Global Communication Network project interconnecting the headquarters and the overseas missions.

“Meanwhile, the ministry has an unpaid certificate of N262.187m for Messrs Bullet Construction Company out of the outstanding contract cost in respect of the new headquarters building project.”

Via Punchwp_posts