OFFICIALS of the Nigerian Embassy in the United States took detailed interest in the aircraft bombing case involving Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and were present at the court sessions.

This was an impressive performance that has however raised questions about the interests of our missions in provision of assistance when ordinary Nigerians need it. Cases preceded Farouk’s in which our missions showed no interest because they were either unaware of the incidents, or they lacked the resources to act.

Most likely, the embassy officials in those places serve uncommon interests. Our embassy in America does not even have an ambassador and there are many of our missions without the appropriate heads to keep relations at levels that would serve the larger interests of Nigerians.

Officials in the mission in America, like others, serve as protocol officers to visiting government officials. They have no time for individuals or institutions without privileged background. Satisfied government officials forget that embassies are not meant to serve them alone.

The poor understanding of the purpose of these missions has led to embarrassments like unpaid salaries of embassy staff, no funds to settle bills for utilities. Embassy staff are sometimes unable to pay their children’s school fees.

Frequently, families of Nigerians incarcerated in foreign jails, some for the flimsiest charges, petition the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to rescue their relations. They are hardly successful in these bids that are lost within the heaps of bureaucracy at the Foreign Ministry.

Many Nigerians who have been in trouble abroad would be surprised at the speedy attention the Abdulmutallab case got. It is easy to draw the wrong conclusions, including that he is a privileged young man and the case in question had an international profile.

Could our embassy staff have raced to the venue of an incident involving the child of Mr. Nobody? The performance of the embassy officials in America is a benchmark for the type of seriousness with which our embassies should attend to the welfare of Nigerians. Not all cases involve legal issues. Matters as simple as renewal of passports and immigration difficulties Nigerians face provide opportunities for embassy staff to visit their frustration on their compatriots.

Nigerians have lost confidence in our embassies. Things are at a point where Nigerians who travel abroad ignore reporting at their embassies in case they would require the services of our embassy officials.

Our missions are increasingly in poor shapes. The degeneration began decades ago and there are no indications that things would improve, not minding billions of Naira the Ministry of Foreign Affairs costs the country annually.

Something good that has come out of this incident is that our embassies know what to do. We need a leadership that should motivate the embassies to serve all Nigerians, especially the poor, the weak, and the voiceless.