The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project Nigeria has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and halt what it describes as a “purported threat” by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to shut down 34 foreign embassies in Abuja over unpaid ground rents.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, SERAP warned that such action would violate international law and diplomatic conventions.
“President Tinubu should urgently caution and direct the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to immediately withdraw the threat to close down 34 embassies in Abuja,” the group stated.
SERAP referenced Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which guarantees the inviolability of diplomatic missions and prohibits their premises from being subject to search, requisition, attachment, or execution.
“Article 22, paragraph 1, of the Vienna Convention states that ‘[t]he premises of the mission shall be inviolable’
“Article 22, paragraph 3, sets out that ‘[t]he premises of the mission, their furnishings and other property thereon and the means of transport of the mission shall be immune from search, requisition, attachment or execution’,” the post read.
The controversy stems from recent revelations by the Federal Capital Territory Administration that at least 34 embassies in Abuja owe ground rents dating as far back as 2014.
Among the embassies listed as defaulters are those of Ghana, Thailand, Côte d’Ivoire, Russia, Philippines, Netherlands, Turkey, Guinea, Ireland, Uganda, Iraq, Zambia, Tanzania, Germany, DR Congo, Venezuela, Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, Egypt, Chad, India, Sudan, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Indonesia, the European Union, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, China, South Africa, and Equatorial Guinea.
Some of the debts are as low as N150, while others exceed N1 million, such as the Zambia High Commission (N1,189,990), Indonesia’s Defence Attaché (N1,718,211), and China’s Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Office (N12,000).
FCT Minister Wike, in a directive issued on May 26, had ordered enforcement action on 4,794 properties with unpaid rents ranging from 10 to 43 years.
This was to include embassies that had similarly defaulted. However, following public outcry and diplomatic sensitivity, Tinubu intervened, granting a 14-day grace period which expires on Monday.
The FCTA’s Director of Land, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, had stated that embassies and other defaulters would be liable to pay penalty fees of N2 million or N3 million, depending on the location of their properties.
While SERAP acknowledged the importance of revenue collection, it emphasized that such measures must not contravene diplomatic protocols or international agreements.
(Punch)
