Who speaks for Nigeria on foreign policy?

In properly structured and organized countries, the question of “Who Speaks on Foreign Policy” doesn’t arise. The world over, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Relations or Ministry of External Affairs or State Department as in America, is the Ministry constitutionally charged with the responsibility of conducting foreign policy and all diplomatic activities. It is known that the President, Prime-Minister or whatever title the Head of State or Government answers, he/she is the Chief Foreign Minister of his/ her government. A Foreign Minister operating from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs the Ministry on behalf of his Principal, Therefore, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and the Ministry of Foreign affairs which he heads, are the only constitutionally recognized organs to conduct the foreign policy of Nigeria and all other ancillary diplomatic activities, and not any other Ministry, Department, Agency or Office.

In running the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Minister is assisted by a Minister of State, Permanent Secretary and Directors of various Departments. The Minister and Minister of State who are invariably politicians and, therefore, not conversant with foreign policy issues and diplomatic nuances, are assisted by knowledgeable and competent career foreign services officers whether as Permanent Secretary or Directors or even lower-ranked officers. These are experienced professionals. All serious foreign policy issues are normally exhaustively discussed and analyzed before recommendations are forwarded to the Foreign Minister for approval or further necessary action, especially if a memorandum is to be sent to the President for consideration and approval. Once approval is obtained from the President, then, the Minister briefs the media or a written official Statement is released. Whether it is briefing the media or issuing an official Statement, due processes are followed. Comments on serious foreign policy issues are never whimsically made because of its potential of aggravating issues with foreign governments. Indeed, serious foreign policy issues are not commented upon on the spur of the moment.

As indicated above, once the President has directed that the media should be briefed or an official Statement issued, it is his Special Advisor who does it on his behalf or it is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and nobody else. In most countries of the world, it is the officially designated Spokesperson who briefs the Press or issues Statements. What I knew to be the practice as the first official Spokesman of the Ministry between 2004 and 2005 is that it was either the Minister or Permanent Secretary or the Spokesman who spoke on foreign policy issues and nobody else. It must still be the practice.

Having said that, the question which arises is from where did the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora to the President derive the power to be commenting on serious foreign policy issues and even issuing Advisory on travel to the United State of America? I personally believe that she has been exceeding her brief; and I am happy that the Foreign Minister has countermanded the Advisory. Nigeria has over one hundred Diplomatic Missions and Consular Posts in far-flung corners of the globe who routinely report all activities of interest or policy implication to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They don’t send reports to the Office of the SSA to the President. Therefore, it is an aberration for the SSA to confer on herself the right to freely comment on foreign policy issues based on very limited and unverified sources of information. Now, the American Embassy has repudiated the claim of the SSA. No properly trained and experienced Foreign Service Officer, whether in service or retired would have been happy with her comments over the xenophobic attacks on migrant Africans in South Africa. It is not that too many cooks spoil the broth. It is meddlesomeness that I am against.

My friend, Ambassador Daniel T. Hart who is a consummate professional, served both Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and later as Advisor on Foreign Affairs. Being the thorough professional that he was, he remained unobtrusive throughout his stay in the Presidency. Even as a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs he didn’t try to usurp the power of the Ministry, diminish or demean it. Therefore, it will be better if she concentrates on her assigned Schedule of Duty and show due deference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In running the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Minister is assisted by a Minister of State, Permanent Secretary and Directors of various Departments. The Minister and Minister of State who are invariably politicians and, therefore, not conversant with foreign policy issues and diplomatic nuances, are assisted by knowledgeable and competent career foreign services officers whether as Permanent Secretary or Directors or even lower-ranked officers. These are experienced professionals.

Ambassador Sulaiman Dahiru, OFR, is a retired career diplomat.