Ambassadors To Get Land, N25m For Plot Development

The newly appointed 88

ambassadors recently inducted by the federal government are to benefit from an  arrangement that would see each of them being allotted a plot of land in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Sources familiar with the arrangement disclosed that in addition, each of the ambassadors would be granted N25 million to be deducted from their salary for the period they would be in service to build structures on the plot of land.

Our correspondent learnt from an aide to one of the benefiting ambassadors that on the payment of a fee of N100,000, an allocation of plot would be made while on the return of the form along with survey plans and designs, each would be issued a cheque of N25 million to develop the plot.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, had gone to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to collect the form for his boss and confided that he was asked to collect the form from the Ministry of External Affairs.

He told our correspondent: “I am going to collect the form and I am to pay N100,000 for its collection.  All I am told is that my boss will get N25 million which would be deducted from his salary and spread for the period he is going to be in service”.

Officials of the foreign ministry, however, would not confirm the development.

Spokesman for the ministry, Ode Ogbele, demanded that a written request putting this query to the ministry be made available to the ministry before an official response to the revelations would be made.

Another top senior official at the ministry, however, described the development as “incredible” particularly as the government has been under a lot of financial pressure with reports of fund shortage.