Lawmakers, check maltreatment of Nigerians by embassies

A typical example was a report in Sunday Trust of July 3, 2011. On page 14 of the newspaper, there was a story about how Nigerian workers were shortchanged at the Sierra Leonean High Commission in Abuja. The mission did not pay some of the staff correct salaries;  the workers are not under any pension […]

A typical example was a report in Sunday Trust of July 3, 2011. On page 14 of the newspaper, there was a story about how Nigerian workers were shortchanged at the Sierra Leonean High Commission in Abuja. The mission did not pay some of the staff correct salaries;  the workers are not under any pension scheme, even after Pencom had directed them to do so; and, in spite of a letter from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) that deductible tax from the income of Nigerian workers should be paid to the agency, this instruction has not been complied with. It took a protest by a Nigerian staff member of the Sierra Leonean mission for this information to come out in the open.

Unfortunately, our lawmakers don’t ask questions. Our Foreign Affair Ministry also doesn’t ask questions. If Western embassy and missions maltreat Nigerians simply because these local staff are paid in dollar, it is bad, but when it is an African mission it is not just bad but an insult on Nigerians. I was upset when I read the report because in order to stabilize Sierra Leone, many young Nigerian soldiers were killed in the name of peace keeping. These people create their own social crisis that led to bloodshed, yet Nigerian government sent its soldiers to help. In the process many of them were killed. But here in Nigeria, the Sierra Leonean High Commission is maltreating Nigerians. This is very unfortunately. It is popular knowledge that most African countries receive aid from Nigeria. When some African Heads of State intend to travel to international conferences, the Nigerian government would provide them with presidential jet. We hear that Nigeria pays the salaries of some categories of staff of some African countries. But when Nigerians travel to these countries they are maltreated. If these countries’ missions in Nigeria maltreat our citizens, then it is evident that we don’t have responsive foreign ministry.

I would suggest to our lawmakers to rise to the occasion and probe the conditions of employment of Nigerians who work in foreign missions. Nigerians shouldn’t be treated like orphans in their own country.

Abdullahi Hussein wrote from Kubwa, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja