BY VICTORIA OJEME

ABUJA — Newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, has warned members of the diplomatic corps serving in Nigeria to desist from acts inimical to diplomatic practice and protocol, dealing directly with office of the President without recourse to his ministry.

Ambassador Aminu Wali, who gave the warning at his inaugural meeting with the envoys in Abuja, said the ministry must be accorded its appropriate respect and place as official channel of communication with the government.

Wali, however, charged them to conduct diplomacy on the basis of universal practice of mutual respect, candour and sovereign equality.
”In line with diplomatic practice and protocol however, I shall take a dim view of abuse of access as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must be accorded its proper recognition and place as the official channel of communication with government.

“A situation where diplomatic missions show disrespect to the exalted office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and our sovereignty by addressing themselves direct to that office will not be condoned,” he warned.

He pledged to operate an open-door policy  to facilitate direct and faster communications between the federal government and their respective countries.
He said:  “I will like to assure you of the cooperation and support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, indeed, the Nigerian government to make a huge success of your respective missions in Nigeria.

“I am, therefore, confidant that together we can achieve concrete foreign policy outcome that will serve our collective aspirations.”
The minister explained that it was not his intention to change the direction of content of Nigerian foreign policy which, he noted, had stood the test of time.
”Rather, I intend to recreate a new era of Nigerian foreign policy by sharpening our focus on what will serve the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians by our engagements with the outside world.