Leadership (Abuja)
16 June 2008
editorial
Abuja — Nigeria's mission in Belgrade, capital of Serbia, was among the several diplomatic missions that were closed on the orders of former president Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003. He had cited lack of funds, mismanagement and non-viability as reasons for the closure that also affected Prague in Czechoslovakia, Asmara in Eritrea and others. Obasanjo was said to have refused to consult the experts.
That decision was ill-informed. One proof is that the same government later reversed itself by reopening the mission in Asmara and a few others; it opened new ones without reopening closed ones. Many diplomats within the nation's Foreign Service could not openly express their displeasure for fear of the consequences under a government led by a ruthless dictator.
The Yar'Adua administration should act now. Considering the longstanding relations – especially economic ties — between Nigeria and Serbia, the country's mission in Belgrade should be reopened immediately. The government should answer the question put by the Serbian ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Dragan Mraovic: "Arab nations and most small African countries all have functional diplomatic missions in Belgrade, so why should Nigeria be left out?"
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Leadership. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
