BUHARI SHUT DOWN NINE FOREIGN EMBASSIES.

Abuja - President Muhamamdu Buhari has approved the closure of nine foreign missions and their conversion to non-residency representation or concurrent accreditation.

Daily Trust reports that the closure is part of measures to reduce the cost of running Nigeria’s foreign representations in line with the economic situation.

The affected missions are the Permanent Mission to the D-8 in Istanbul, Turkey; the Africa-South America Cooperation Forum (ASACOF) in Caracas, Venezuela; embassies in Belgrade, Serbia; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Kiev, Ukraine; Prague, Czech Republic; the High Commission in Singapore as well as Consulates in Buea, Cameroon and Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Also, the government approved for rationalisation the number of officers at foreign missions, estacode for local travels and award of honorary consuls.

It was learnt that the rationalisation exercise will affect all 119 Nigeria’s foreign missions. Apart from 35 missions, all other missions have been directed to be run by an ambassador and not more than three home-based staff.

A letter dated June 8 from the chief of staff to the president, Abba Kyari, said there should be a review of the staff strength necessary for each mission.

“Rules and regulations as well as entitlements (estacode) for local travels at post should be reviewed downwards and strict compliance enforced. Similarly, cost and usage of communication and utility services should be reviewed and drastically reduced, and the current entitlement of house maids for senior officers other than the heads of mission and deputy chiefs of mission, where applicable should be discontinued,” the letter read.