The Director of News at Arise Television, Sumner Sambo, has suggested why President Bola Tinubu has not appointed ambassadors upon assumption of office for over two years.
Naijaonpoint reports that Sambo, during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, suggested that Tinubu believes the wage bill is too high.
According to him, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reiterated that the country lacks finances, stressing that embassies, high commissions, and other places are actually being challenged with funding issues.
Sambo emphasised that, “When you appoint an ambassador, you are going to appoint someone who will come in with his family and others, you know, appointees and all of that. And then, of course, the issues of vehicles, issues of other things will come into place.”
He added, “You have a classical example here, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying that, look, we do not have money. At the moment, our embassies, our high commissions and other places are actually being challenged with funding issues.
“What I know is that currently, there are special intervention mechanisms being put in place to have an abridged version of funding that will help sustain these budgetary shortfalls by the diplomatic missions.
“But for how long can we continue? Because if you look at it, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement was very clear.
“It’s a budgetary constraint, and it’s coming from the National Assembly. Now the basic funding of high commissions are not even being taken care of. Talk more of contracts and all of that.
“And then, of course, that’s the more reason why you’ve seen that President Bola Tinubu has delayed the appointment of ambassadors for two years plus now, because he’s feeling that the wage bill is high, because it’s not just about the embassy staff and all of that.”
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