The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs has resolved to commence a probe into the alleged mismanagement of $172,000 allocated to Nigerian missions in Vietnam, China, and North Korea between 2021 and 2024.
The funds, it has been gathered, were part of the budgetary allocations to Nigeria’s missions in the three countries for overhead, capital, and personnel expenditures.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Oluwole Oke, said relevant stakeholders, including the Regional Accountant to the missions in China and North Korea between 2022 and 2024, Mr. Shakiru Yahaya, had been invited to a meeting with the panel.
He said, “We are investigating a case of extra-budgetary expenditure and violation of the Appropriations Act, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the Procurement Act, and the extant Financial Regulations.
“This includes the alleged misuse of $102,000 meant for capital for recurrent expenses as well as mismanagement of intervention funds.
“There is also the alleged payment without receipt of $70,000 to a family or estate of an ex-Ambassador to Vietnam,” adding that aside from the 2025 appropriations, “There were balances carried forward in the previous budgets.”
Although he did not provide the details, Oke, who represents Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Osun State, added that the Committee would also beam its searchlight on “the over $3.5m allegedly misappropriated in our missions in China and North Korea.”
When Sunday PUNCH reached out to the Finance Attaché of the Nigerian Mission in Vietnam, Deborah Brisibe, she declined comment, saying, “I am not obliged to give you any response, please call the Head of Mission.”
Similarly, another official of the Mission in Vietnam, Hannatu Karau, urged our correspondent to reach out to the spokesman of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“I am not authorised to speak directly to the media. You may kindly direct these inquiries to the office of the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” she said.
In a telephone conversation with Sunday Punch correspondentt Mr. Yahaya said he did not know about the imminent investigation by the House Committee on the alleged financial misgovernance.
“I am not aware of that. I have not gotten such an invitation,” he said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said there was no information on his desk concerning the Nigerian Embassy in Vietnam, promising to make inquiries to find out the state of things.
He said, “The House of Representatives goes for oversight functions, and if there is any perceived mismanagement, they will inform the ministry, and the ministry will also compel the affected Mission to explain. So, for now, I have no information at my disposal about our Embassy in Vietnam, but I will make inquiries.”
There have been allegations of poor financial management in the country’s foreign missions in the past few years, with stakeholders calling for a probe into the conduct of concerned officials.
Earlier in the year, the Oke-led Committee commenced a probe into the alleged diversion of $2m meant for the renovation of Nigeria’s Permanent Representative’s residence in New York, United States of America.
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