Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday began investigations into alleged malpractices in a diplomatic posting by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the issue of rackeering in the issuance of Nigerian passports by the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS.
The House Committee began a 2-day investigative public hearing on alleged malpractices in diplomatic postings and draining of scarce public resources by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Headquarters and its foreign missions.
The House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, who declared the hearing open lamented that there are so many complaints against the Foreign Affairs Ministry by diplomats and the general public on the rot in diplomatic posting and other issues.
The Speaker said that the Foreign Ministry, its departments, and agencies had been involved in the alleged malpractices adding that the House had resolved to investigate the matter owing to the number of petitions it received from the diplomats and the general public.
The Speaker who also noted that the Foreign Ministry is responsible for framing the country’s foreign policy and the way the world Nigeria added that it is a tragedy if what it portrays is the opposite of its policy decision.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Committee, Buba Yakub said the probe is in tandem with President Muhammad Buhari’s avowed stand on zero tolerance for corrupt practices by public officeholders.
Buba urged the Foreign Affairs Ministry to ensure that the issues on posting of staff are done in accordance with laid down principles.
Other committee members also expressed displeasure over the printing of the Nigerian passport abroad by the Nigeria Immigration Service.
The Controller-General of NIS, Mohammed Babandede however told the committee that the agency’s posting of staff is based on certain criteria.
On consular services, he explained that the NIS issues visa and travelling documents to Nigerian citizens in the Nigerian embassies and High Commissions abroad.
He also explained that the new visa policy has allowed citizens to have dual citizenship and added that the visa on arrival policy had contributed to the ease of doing business in the country.
The Nigeria Immigratiin Service Boss also hinted that the agency had removed visa processing from embassies and high commission and added that the Agency introduced temporary passports for Nigerians abroad to enhance their movements.
In his presentation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said that Nigerians in the diaspora should be provided with a 24-hour call centre where they can call and feel free to discuss any issue of concerns.
Moreover, the Chairperson Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in a brief remark said that the agency would set up a web application where Nigerians in the diaspora can lodge such complaints.
She identified the communication gap as the major challenge in resolving the issue under investigation and gave assurances of the Commission’s readiness to address such issues.
The Committee told the invited key players to submit a memorandum to the committee on how the Nigerian passport can be produced locally.
The Committee also lauded the initiative by the NIS to remove visa processing from the embassies and high commissions of Nigeria abroad.