1st August, 2018
A former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has stressed the need for “immediate overhaul” of diplomatic operations, to enhance the effective implementation of foreign policies and match global and ever dynamic trends.
Akinyemi, who was Deputy Chairman of the 2014 National Conference, made this known in his inaugural lecture on “the New International System: a diplomat’s nightmare” in Abuja.
The lecture was organized by the Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria (AFRPN) to commence the full operation of the body in the country.
He said that the call for the overhaul became imperative because of the need to tackle challenges often associated with activities of state and non-state actors in diplomatic corps operations.
According to him, regular diplomatic personnel are often kept out of details of security, even if they have to step up to clear the mess that has been created.
Akinyemi said “a diplomat under normal circumstances will be the authentic and exclusive voice of his government.
“It enhances his status, makes his message credible and certain and makes the relationship between his country and his host country devoid of planned confusion.
“I used the term unplanned advisedly because confusion about objectives often arises as political operatives and intelligence operatives pursue divergent goals and operations of NGOs muddy the water.
“But with the advent of governance by twitter, the status of the diplomat is adversely affected; his host government gets the message, the same time as the diplomat.
“The interpretation of the message is as obscure to the diplomat as the host country and yet, the diplomat is often called upon to give an authoritative interpretation and do the impossible.”
He further explained that the saving grace amidst the damage inflicted on diplomacy is limited by the fact that only restricted number of countries actually come into focus for analysis.
Also speaking, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, said that there is the need for a review of the World Economic Order, to foster diplomatic operations and economic trade among nations.
Sanusi, a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), noted that the foreign policies of nations, particularly within the African continent were more favourable to Europe, than member countries.
Sanusi said “trade liberalization policy should be reviewed, the West through trade liberalisation policy, used African resources to develop their regions, yet denied Africans dividends of the fruit of their labour.
“We have a composition in the world whereby in the last three decades, we have been talking about removal of barriers to movement of capital.
“African leaders go to Europe and sit down to talk of how to stop migration of labour, which is not an African problem; it is European problem which was created partly by the world order.”
Also contributing, the President of AFRPN, Amb. Gani Lawal, said that the association was established as credible think-thank to assist the government and people of Nigeria promote foreign policies.
According to Lawal, the association was influenced by the feelings that foreign relations as a subject were subjected to permutations and conjectures by those with little knowledge of the subject.
Lawal said “this is coupled with the fear that our government may begin to patronise quacks on foreign relations, when we have in abundance erudite personnel and professionals in world affairs.”
In a remark, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, promised to continue to support the association, in the bid to achieve the Federal Government achieve its foreign policy objectives.
Onyeama, represented by Dr Pius Osunyikanmi, Director General of Technical Aide Corps of the Ministry, said that the aim is to make Nigeria’s foreign policy to become more robust.
“The association will continue to serve as contributive guide to our Ministry’s operations; the ministry has just formed a partner it can rely upon,” Onyeama said.