Politics
NIGERIAN Government is set to exit membership of no fewer than 90 international organisations as a result of increasing subscriptions, which stands at over $120 millon.
This is contained in the recommendations made by an inter-ministerial committee set up to look into the status of Nigeria’s membership of international organizations and associated financial obligations.
Briefing State House correspondents after the weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Kemi Adeosun, minister of finance, said Nigeria is a member of 310 international organisations.
According to her, the committee was charged to review the rationale of Nigeria’s continued membership of such a large number of international organisations, particularly in the light of the fact that in many cases we are not actually paying our financial obligations and subscriptions which is causing some embarrassment to Nigeria and our image abroad.
She said, “In particular, it was discussed that there are some commitments made to international organisations made by former presidents which were not cash backed. So when our delegations turn up at those organisations we become very embarrassed. So that was what drove the committee.
“The committee made some recommendations. That out of the 310 organisations, 220 organisations should be retained and the rest we should withdraw membership from.
“But council directed that more work needed to be done, particularly there was a dispute as to the figure of how much is owed. The committee had a figure of about $120 million but we are clear from ministry of Finance and other ministries that is far more than that. Our subscriptions are in arrears in a number of major organisations.
“So the directive of the council was that we should go and reconcile those figures and come back to council and have a payment plan for those figures to avoid Nigeria being embarrassed internationally.
“And also circulars needed to be issued on who can commit Nigeria because it was discovered it would be a director or an ambassador who attended the meeting who committed subscription on behalf of Nigeria. Of course then the international organisation then begins to chase us for its money. – Prompt News
Sept. 27, 2017 @ 17:09 GMT |
Tags: $120m Subscriptions: Nigeria exits 90 International Organisations Soon Kemi Adeosun ministry of finance
