Embassies, I think
should be the powerful presence of a guest country in a host country, an
embassy does not represent the building but in actual sense, the delegation of
people sent on diplomatic course to a particular receiving country and are
called diplomatic mission. The functions of a diplomatic mission consist, inter
alia, in representing the sending State in the receiving State; protecting in
the receiving State the interests of the sending State and of its nationals,
within the limits permitted by international law; negotiating with the
Government of the receiving State; ascertaining by all lawful means conditions
and developments in the receiving State, and reporting thereon to the
Government of the sending State; promoting friendly relations between the
sending State and the receiving State, and developing their economic, cultural
and scientific relations.
Embassies are legally considered to be the soil of the country that set them up
so that, technically, when one sets foot inside an American embassy in a
foreign country, he is subject to the laws of the United States of America.
Embassies also serve several functions in the foreign countries they are
located in.
I’ve read a lot about the state of Nigerians and their embassies in other
countries, but I will like to place my emphasis on the Nigerian embassy in
Ukraine, I stay in Ukraine and during my first year in the country, my ears
were full of the bad reception the embassy gives its own citizens especially
the students, there were lots and loads of complaints, which for a right
thinking person could make you full of shame for your country at least within
the confines of where you heard those, as a student leader I’ve been to the
embassy and witnessed these things myself, many things happen to Nigerians here
that a normal functioning embassy will stand to the interest of its people, but
you hear statements like “we were not aware you are in this country, did you
come and report to us when you came into the country” and also a most frequent
“there is nothing we can do about it” which sounds like a rehearsed primary
school poem when they utter them.
The delivery of the embassy in Kiev (Ukraine) is so poor that, of recent they
relocated, but their website does not contain the new address as ignorant
Nigerian who do not reside in Kiev become the victim of advantage-taking taxi
drivers. A lot these things make me wonder if what we have in Ukraine as an
embassy is really not a post office.
In Ukraine the greater part of the population of the Nigerian community are
students, many times the authorities of these universities just bring in some
regulations which are hostile to the welfare of international students, it
shocks me to see nations like Namibia stand up for the right of their students
while the supposed Giant of Africa sleeps. And one thing, not particular to
Ukrainians is that once they see you’ve got no backing, they take advantage of
you to the fullest.
I’ve once been threatened at gun point in my hostel by an Ukrainian who also
lives in the hostel, though not a student to clear up our projector as we tried
to project the 2013 Champions League final, few minutes later, my pro-rector
who also lives in the hostel was out, I reported the case to him, with the man
standing in front of us. Nothing was done, not even an apology from the
university, and don’t ask why I did not report to the embassy, you and I know
nothing will be done about it. At that moment I thought to myself were I an
American, I would have cashed in on the University for risking the lives of
their student. But I could not because I wouldn’t get the backing of my own
embassy. I will hear words like “there is nothing we can do about it”.
There are a whole lot of others to mention but the problem with the embassy is
not a horizontal one, it is an all encompassing vertical problem, starting with
the leadership of the country, the embassy at the middle and the citizens at
the end.
I think we as a people have not done enough in demanding our constitutional
right, we seem to be comfortable with maltreatment and the only solution we
proffer is talking about them when we can talk to them, just as the saying goes
anything you do not confront, has the right to stay, I think this problem is
little or no different from the problem of the general Nigerian society, nonchalance
from the citizens and unaccountability from the leadership. But I think it is
time to stand up for what we deserve, a solid representation of the people by the embassies.
