Starrays
By Moses Agbe – NASS Abuja
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively partnering with the National Assembly to implement the foreign policy objectives of the nation as enshrined in the 1979 Constitution according to Hon (Amb) Maitama Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, erstwhile Honourable Member and Nigerian Ambassador to Germany. Amb. Tuggar made this revelation in an exclusive chat with newsmen after an interactive meeting with the House Commitee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Hon Wale Oke at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja recently.
According to Amb Maitama Tuggar: ‘We held this meeting to first of all, familiarise ourselves with each other, to know the new chairman of the House Commitee, Hon Wale Oke, his deputy and other members of the committee. I came with my team, the permanent secretary and directors of the foreign affairs ministry and we discussed ways and means of implementing the foreign policy objectives of the nation as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
We also discussed budgetary matters so that the House can give us the necessary support we need when faced with financial challenges and we have to work together because our budgets have to be approved by the National Assembly and fortunately we have people on both sides who are experts in budgetary matters having handled such issues time and time again. So we have identified areas of crucial importance that we need to put heads together to resolve in order to move the process forward in all positive ramifications.
The Foreign Service Commission Bill is also before the House as we believe that the peculiarities of the Nigerian foreign service entails the establishment of a Foreign Service Commission and it is getting the required attention of the National Assembly.’
A visibly upbeat Amb. Maitama Tuggar also expressed delight at interacting with his former House colleagues many of whom are presently serving their third or fourth tenures in the august parliament while noting that the Executive and the Legislature are partners and not competitors in the governance arena:
‘ ‘l am elated to see many familiar faces, my former colleagues from way back who are still very active in the House. And the beauty of parliament is to see ranking members as either chairmen or cognate members of committees contributing their own quota and experience in the legislative process. And people have to understand that parliament is not an enemy of the executive branch, it is not bellicose to the executive arm but rather a partner working together for the development of Nigeria.
” We are two arms of the same government working together to move the nation forward in all facets of development ” – Amb. Maitama Tuggar concluded.
