Appraising Nigeria’s Foreign Policy In 2010

Like the years before it, 2010 has come and gone, leaving behind traces of escapades and achievements by men, organisations and nations. At Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, the year witnessed the appointment of a new Minister, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia (SAN) by President Goodluck Jonathan, following the re­constitution of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Under Minister Ajumogobia, Nigeria witnessed the strengthening of her foreign policy and a bold attempt at taking her foreign relations to the next level. Shortly after his inauguration, he had an inaugural meeting with the Diplomatic Corps on 22nd April and pledged to hold informal consultations with them from time to time. One of such informal meetings focused on the 2011 general elections and security related issues in the country. The more formal bilateral meetings between many of the members of the diplomatic corps and the Minister, or his Foreign Ministry colleagues (the two Ministers of State) also featured conversations that often tended towards the issue of preparations for the 2011 general elections and understandably, concerns about security either in relations to the elections or generally, especially since the tragic bomb attack on October 1, 2010.

In one of such formal meetings, Ajumogobia did not mince words in describing the blast as a “callous act of terror” and regretted that it resulted in the death of innocent Nigerians and injuries to dozens other Nigerians as well as one foreign national who was treated for injuries from the car bomb blast on that day. He also dispelled some of the unfounded fears, speculations and predictions that were capable of creating or fostering a climate of uncertainty, in his bid to shore up the image of Nigeria in the International Community.

For instance, he told the diplomats in one of their meetings, “I read in the papers an improbable story that one country loses $2.5 million a month to Nigerian fraudsters; the biggest victims of these changes are millions of honest and hard working Nigerians both at home and abroad. A whole country is branded for the criminal conspiracies of a few in which greedy and gullible foreigners are complicit.

“While on this subject of our country’s image, a few weeks ago a bribery scandal broke out in the higher echelons of FIFA. Four executives were implicated in the scandal; one of them was a Nigerian. As I speak to you, (November 10) is it not curious that one does not know from media report whether local or international, the nationality of the others, But Nigeria bashing as fashionable and unfair as it is not what I wish to speak about today”. He added.

Generally speaking, in 2010, Ajumogobia shared with the Foreign Governments perspective regarding the matter of security and 2011 Elections and strove to separate fact from fiction and rumour from ‘responsible reportage’, positing that “No country has conquered or indeed can overcome all its security challenges. Our Niger Delta and other security challenges are not exception. The Amnesty programme has been successful and despite obvious challenges is on course”. He insists that the government’s Amnesty programme has brought considerable respite to the region and the entire country as production is now back to the 2003/2004 figures of 2.3 million barrel a day – the period when the country’s biggest oil producing company voluntarily moved headquarters to Port Harcourt.

A major problem in the year under review was that of kidnapping and the Foreign Minister also put it in proper perspective, lest the kidnappers’ escapades are grossly misunderstood and Nigeria further dragged into the mud in the perception of the international community. Using the kidnapping of five crew members consisting of five foreign nationals as a reference point, he told the Diplomatic Corps, at a meeting with them, shortly before the turn of the year that it must be seen for what it is: ‘a troublesome isolated incident with still unknown motivations’, assuring at the time that the country’s security agencies were already doing their best to secure the release of the five crew members (and I have no doubt that the five foreign nationals will return to their work and their families very soon — let me say again: this was not in any way uniquely Nigerian phenomenon”.

Ajumogobia absolved Nigeria of any complicity in the crime (kidnapping) committed by a few, saying emphatically and re-assuredly “A crime was committed and it (was) being investigated — Most of you (Diplomats) would by now be familiar with our efforts and progress in restoring peace to the Niger Delta region”, adding “The presidential Amnesty programme, as you may all well know, was the first of several initiatives aimed at confidence building to allow for a climate of peace in the region. Our post amnesty programme seeks to consolidate this new found peace as a necessary condition for sustainable development of the region. We arc grateful to our friends and partners for their valuable contributions towards the success of this programme which is now in its rehabilitation phase, following the successful disarmament  President Jonathan is absolutely committed to the success of the programme”.

Ajumogobia, during the year 2010 also succeeded to a considerable extent in erasing whatever misgivings the world had on the recurring violence and killings in parts of the country, especially in Jos, Plateau State capital – which tend to paint the nation black before the international community and cast aspersion on her status as ‘one indivisible, united and peaceful nation’.

Addressing the diplomats on this, he said: “We are dealing with the sporadic outbreak of violence and criminal impunity in parts of the country. Government is resolutely committed to addressing the root cause of the social economic challenges that have occasionally boiled over into social conflagrations that often have ethno-religious dimensions and the consequent security challenges. At the root of these problems is poverty and perceptions of neglect. These are enormous by themselves as evidenced by global concerns, recently expressed by Global Leaders at the United Nations over the prospects of developing countries meeting the MDG targets by 2015. I believe that government’s efforts so far are commendable”.

“So the Broader Security Strategy is to address the challenges of underdevelopment as a way of tackling some of the drivers of insecurity in our country. Another truism: There can be no peace without development and no development without peace,” he maintained.

Further to this, Ajumogobia successfully placed on international record that one of the ways which the Jonathan administration sought to address the country’s security challenges including the menace of terrorism, is to strengthen the capacity and deployment of her security personnel and resources, and to simultaneously improve on intelligence gathering and sharing with agencies of other countries. Similarly, in taking up the international community on the 2011 elections, the Foreign Affairs Minister was insistent that the government is committed to developing a democratic culture in which the will of the people evidenced by their votes will be treated as sacred and inmuned from subversion in a genuinely competitive and rule-based contest, asserting emphatically that the government has taken certain definite steps intended to create a level – playing field in which every vote in the election counts.

“I should also like to assure our genuine friends and collaborators and those who have expressed concerns about the future of our country that Nigeria will come out of these elections a stronger democracy”, he opined.

What’s more. The event of 26th October that was somewhat turbulent in Nigeria’s relations with Iran did not escape Ajumogobia’s notice and indeed brought out the best in him as he tackled it frontally and diplomatically. It was the day that witnessed the discovery of rockets, grenades and explosives in thirteen (13) containers surreptitiously shipped to Nigeria from Iran, and impounded at the Apapa Port in Lagos. Ajumogobia engaged his Iranian counterpart, Dr Manouchehr Mutaki in discussion on the issue, and indicated that Nigeria would report the incident to the United Nations which was promptly done.

His presentation of this incident to the Diplomatic Corps was equally superlative. Hear him: “The interception of illegal arms shipment at one of our sea ports illustrates the existing high level of vigilance and response capability of our security agencies”.

 Thus, the performance of the Foreign Affairs Ministry under Ajumogobia in 2010, many observers believe, has indeed shored up the country’s image and promises greater future for the country.

Justus Awaji, Abuja