There is no point in sending ambassadors if we don’t have the funds for them to even travel to their missions – Minister of Foreign Affairs explains delay in appointment of Ambassadors

Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar has explained the delay in appointing ambassadors to foreign missions.

Speaking at a ministerial briefing on Tuesday, May 28, to mark President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office, Tuggar attributed the delay to a lack of funds.

He further revealed that the current administration inherited a Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs that was not adequately funded.

“We met a situation where foreign affairs was not being funded the way it should be. And secondly, there were loopholes being exploited by the likes of binance.

“There is no point in sending ambassadors if we don’t have the funds to even travel to their missions. To run the embassies effectively and judiciously, we need funds.

“Part of the problem is the situation that the new administration came and inherited. Of course, you know, President Tinubu focused on removing fuel subsidy. 

“The whole idea was for us to stop subsidising consumption and start subsidising production. At the same time, the government faced other challenges. Even as the economic reforms were taking shape, we were beginning to see the impacts and then came the likes of Binance and crypto, which started undermining the gains. So we have a problem with our currency.”