Tinubu Govt Gives Reason For Delay In Appointment Of Ambassadors

The Federal Government has said the delay in the appointment of ambassadors to serve in foreign missions is due to a lack of funds.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, stated this on Tuesday at the ministerial briefing to mark President Bola Tinubu’s one year in office.

Recall that in September 2023, Tinubu directed the recall of all career and non-career ambassadors serving in different countries and has failed to announce their successors.

However, the President appointed Consuls-general and Chargés d’affaires in various Nigerian Embassies abroad.

Speaking at the briefing, Tuggar said the Bola Tinubu administration inherited a federal ministry of foreign affairs that was not funded as it should be.

He said there is no point in sending ambassadors if there are no funds to travel to their missions or run the embassies effectively and judiciously.

Tuggar said President Tinubu is aware of the situation and is working to ensure that the ambassadors are appointed soonest.

He said: “We met a situation where foreign affairs was not being funded the way it should be. And secondly, there were loopholes being exploited by the likes of Binance.

“There is no point in sending ambassadors if we don’t have the funds to even travel to their missions. To run the embassies effectively and judiciously, we need funds.

“Part of the problem is the situation that the new administration came and inherited. Of course, you know, President Tinubu focused on removing fuel subsidy.

“The whole idea was for us to stop subsidising consumption and start subsidising production.

“At the same time, the government faced other challenges. Even as the economic reforms were taking shape, we were beginning to see the impacts and then came the likes of Binance and crypto, which started undermining the gains. So we have a problem with our currency.”