Daily Trust,
How would you assess the foreign policy engagements of the government?
The ministry is faring well in the foreign policy engagements with other countries. We have very good relations with other countries and our relations with them have facilitated the attainment of the main objectives of Mr President. Those objectives are improvement on security, success in anti-corruption measures and drive, and success in the economy. So what our foreign policy initiative has done is to get foreign countries, neighbouring ones and distant countries to support our drive against Boko Haram and our engagement with militants in the South South.
Our outreach to foreign countries has helped us in recovering money that had been stashed away by former or corrupt public servants. And on the economy, our outreach to foreign countries has helped us in increasing the level of foreign direct investments in the country. As regard the ministry itself, we are engaging in a project to make the ministry a hub to facilitate the access of foreign markets for Nigerian businesses, in particular access to the markets of 116 countries in the world in which Nigeria has an embassy or a mission.
On the looted fund stashed in foreign countries, how much has the government recovered so far?
We are still discovering new deposits around the world. We have recovered already, $321 million from Switzerland. There are, I will say, about $600 million, that I will call being in the pipeline. So they have been identified and there is an ongoing process to get them back.
The Federal Government ordered the cutting down of foreign missions to reduce the cost of running them. How many missions are affected?
There are about eight missions initially identified. And there are ongoing discussions as to whether all the eight should be closed. So, I wouldn’t want to name those missions in those countries because the final decision has not been taken.
For a long time, Nigeria has no substantive ambassadors at foreign missions. How is their absence affecting bilateral relations with host countries?
There will always be an impact if you don’t have an ambassador in a country. Even from the point of view of perception because the host country will always feel slighted that you are not given it the respect and that you are not engaging with it at the level that it should be especially if they have an ambassador in your country. Then, it is also easier for an ambassador than a lower official to have access to a highest level of government in countries. So, the reality is that it will have an effect.
How soon are we expecting the ambassadors to be posted to foreign missions?
There are two things that are involved there. First of all, the Senate has to approve the nominees through the process of screening. Then the next stage will be for each one to be assigned a country. That should be done fairly quickly. Next stage is to send those nominations to the various countries. Then, the next stage would be for those countries to now approve and it differs from country to country. Some take a long time, others take a shorter time in making that approval, what is called agreemo. Realistically, for average, we would be looking at the next three months from now.
Is Nigeria still interested in having a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council?
Nigeria is still interested in having a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. But there are so many hurdles that it is not something even in the hands of Nigeria because first of all, there was an agreement of the African Union meeting in Swaziland where it was agreed that it should be a continental-based approach. So it will not be Nigeria seeking a seat on its own. It will be Africa deciding on two seats, because what Africa is looking for are two permanent seats on the council.
So, Africa has to agree on the two countries that should be put forward. But that’s probably the easiest part of the whole process. Now, the members of the UN Security Council, particularly permanent members United States, China, Russia, France and United Kingdom - will have to agree and then the General Assembly has to agree. So, it is a long process that it will be very difficult to see an agreement on which country should be represented there.
If Nigeria secures a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, what is the benefit to the country?
The benefit depends on what Nigeria actually secures. There are two issues there; whether you just have a permanent seat or whether you have the veto power. If it is just permanent seat, it means that Nigeria would be at the highest table globally in which main decisions concerning the world, especially in the area of peace and security, are taken. There is a respect that comes with it and the ability to influence many things in the world. If it comes with a veto power, then that is a game changer. It really means that Nigeria is amongst the most powerful countries in the world, the few countries in the world that can decide what the international community can or cannot do. That is a huge responsibility
There are ugly incidences of extra judicial killings of Nigerians abroad. What is the government doing to stop the killings?
What we are doing is; in any country in which Nigerians are being killed, our representatives in that country - permanent mission or ambassador will be in touch with the authorities of that country, to, first of all, ensure proper investigation is carried out and ensure that justice is done and measures are taken by that country to prevent recurrences. I am in support of that process. To support that process, the ministry here will call the ambassador of that country and register concern and also request that investigation and justice are done and measures put in place to prevent recurrences.
And also, depending on the situation in the country, I will reach out to the foreign minister of that country to register our concern, our complaints and obtain justice. And again depending on country, Mr President would reach out to the president of that country with the same request.
Nigeria played an active role in the peaceful transfer of power in The Gambia. Why did ECOWAS allowed former president Yahya Jammeh to leave instead of stay in the country to face prosecution over accusation of human rights violations and looting of public treasury?
The reason why it was desirable that he should leave the country was because it was felt that new president needed that space and security to establish himself. If President Jammeh had remained, he will still be a focal point of support for his followers and they could be used as an instrument of destabilisation of the incoming administration. So it was felt that if he leaves the country, the possibility of that kind of destabilisation would be almost eliminated. On the issue of human rights violations and looting of public treasury, this is not excluded by his having gone into exile. That process can still go ahead and it is likely, that process will still go ahead.