Lagos — Former Minister of External Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has called on government to pay officials of the Foreign Affairs ministry in Euro and Dollars.

Akinyemi, who was Minister during the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida(rtd), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja, that "it does not make sense paying them in Naira.

"Most of the ministry's budget are spent abroad and they do not spend Naira there. What is the point of budgeting trillions of Naira for the ministry when, if you break it down, you are left with a few dollars," he said.

According to Akinyemi, such funds are not enough to run any foreign office, which is why our missions abroad are in a terrible shape. "Our Missions are unworthy to be associated with a country like Nigeria that is gunning for a permanent seat at the Security Council of the UN," he said.

He suggested that if Nigeria wanted to play the role of a global power, there was an urgent need for increase in budgetary allocation to the ministry, to enable it perform its "enormous" functions.

Akinyemi said the National Assembly could initiate such moves based on expert analysis and advise and suggested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs be split into two, the home and foreign services with separate heads. This is in consonance with the unique nature of the ministry.

"When you refer to the ministry as Foreign Affairs, which one is the Domestic affairs? None. The ministry represents the totality of the Nigerian interest abroad, including defence, agriculture, water resources, cultural and all the domestic affairs," he said.