NIGERIA is owing the United Nations
(UN) a grand total assessed contribution of $3, 847,723 (about N600 billion).
Seen as debts by the UN system
accounting apparatus, mere irregularity of payments are enough to threaten
Nigeria’s status as well as influence within the global body at a time efforts
are being intensified for the country to take a permanent seat at the UN
Security Council (UNSC).
Already, Nigeria has consistently been
missing in the UN yearly roll of honour, a clear embarrassment considering the
nation’s commanding height vis-à-vis some countries that are on the roll of
honour.
The worry by diplomatic watchers is
that a debt carried over to this year (2013) may not augur well for a smooth
running of the machinery put in place by Nigeria’s otherwise brilliant team.
Interestingly, the total amount of money being owed excludes
outstanding $30,000 being arrears of the $5,000 fixed annual contribution
to the G77 + China Group for the period 2007-2012 (six years).
The outstanding contributions are
broken down into: Regular Budget ($1,843,269), Peacekeeping Operations ($1,
869,971) and International Tribunals ($104,483). But the country managed since
2009 to pay the fourth tier remittance known as the Capital Master Plan.
Voluntary contributions to the tune of $250,000 has been recommended for
Nigeria for 2013, even as deliberations on the methodology for determining
scale of assessment on contributions were ongoing.
Owing to the perceived sensitive nature
of the Nigeria’s financial remittance status, it is an issue nobody at both her
Permanent Mission to the UN and Nigeria House bureaucracy wishes to speak on.
But documents obtained by The Guardian at the UN relevant departments put the
country’s “effective participation” and strategic functioning in jeopardy.
According to a key source at the UN,
“the continued delay by Nigeria, and this is amazing, to settle her assessed
contributions to the UN is a big slur on the image and status of the country,
especially when compared to some countries of lesser standing in the UN that
have since paid theirs.
“Now, this situation places the country
in a very disadvantageous position when it comes to taking key decisions as
well as participating in some vital activities of the organisation.”
The Guardian investigations reveal that
contrary to what obtains at the UN, Nigeria is up to date with her financial
commitment to multilateral organs on the continent - The Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU). At the continental
level, Nigeria, alongside South Africa, Egypt, Libya and Algeria, are the
biggest contributors (60 per cent) to the AU finances.
However, there is a slight departure at
ECOWAS, where the assessed due provision has been abolished and replaced
with the community levy. Nevertheless, Nigeria has withheld 40 per cent of
the community levy as a way of protesting the expenditure pattern of the
sub-regional community, which was dubbed “funny” by the Nigerian ECOWAS desk
during the closing days of the administration Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Nigeria still picks about 65 per cent
of all ECOWAS budgets. The community levy brings about a situation where 0.5
per cent taxes on goods imported into the ECOWAS area from without are paid
into a dedicated account. ECOWAS would be running on a deficit in 2013 if
Nigeria continues to withhold its due on the community levy.
Source: Guardian
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