Nigerian diplomats stranded in New York, Washington, Caracas, others

…Send SOS to FG, NASS

Nigerian diplomats in foreign lands after the expiration of their Tour of Duty and retirement have sent a save our soul message to the Federal Government as well as the National Assembly to prevail on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to effect their return.

Our reporter gathered that some of the cities where these diplomats are stranded are New York (Permanent Mission),  Washington, Caracas, Brasilia, Hanoi, Luanda, Bucharest, Havana, amongst others.

In a telephone interview monitored by our correspondent, one of the diplomats who would not want his name in print for fear of victimisation, lamented that their families have been subjected to severe suffering in the foreign land after they were disengaged from their national assignments.

He said they can no longer afford their rents nor sustain their children in school.

While lamenting their plights, the diplomat said a recent Cirtel by the Deputy Director in charge of posting, Mr S.O. Olaniyan had “mandated the affected diplomats to handover to their successor where applicable and were further directed to disengage from their mission’s activities.”

He stated that the Cirtel further directed that the affected officers should cease to be paid their Foreign Services Allowance effective from August 31, 2017 not minding that these officers worked till October 2017 and are living in rented apartments.

Equally, the diplomat further lamented that the Authority to Incurs Expenses (AIE) sent to the missions since June 2016 were not cash backed thus compounding the plight of the diplomats.

The source disclosed that the officers are ready to return home so that their children/wards can return to school adding that this has been made difficult because the Ministry has not sent fund, their air tickets and shipment of their belongings.

The source further disclosed that this is the first time in the history of foreign service in Nigeria that officers will complete their Tour of Duty and replaced without paying their returning entitlements and allowing them and their families waste away in foreign lands.

Reacting, the spokesman of the Ministry Mr Tope told our reporter that it is a routine tradition for  officers to be posted to foreign missions for a duration of 3 years after which they return to the country.

He said: “It does not require stories in the media. It is routine tradition  in the ministry. People are posted and after 3 years their duty elapses and they hand over to their successors and come back to the country.

He however promised to get back to our reporter as soon as he is acquainted with the situation after his meeting with the Deputy Director in charge of posting, Mr S.O. Olaniyan.

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