The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen has expressed worry over the absence of Nigerian mission in Iraq.
He is therefore planning a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar on the matter.
The Speaker spoke today, November 28, while responding to a concern raised by the Iraqi Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Anwer Saeed Aljabali who visited him.
Speaker Abbas is surprised that as at now, there is no contact point in Iraq where Nigerians can run to for help.
According to the Speaker, Iraq is an important country in the comity of nations, which is why Nigeria efforts must be made to make the Nigerian mission in that country operational.
“I want to assure you that we will take this matter up. I will meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs to find ways of resolving the issues so that Nigerian Mission in Iraq will be open once again.”
Speaker Abbas said that the 10th House has established a Parliamentary Friendship Group that would relate with the Iraqi Parliament for better cooperation between the two countries.
“We are serious about parliamentary relations with parliaments around the world. That is why we created the Parliamentary Friendship Group with the Parliament of Iraq. The chairman of the committee will meet you in due course.”
Earlier, Ambassador Aljabali had stressed the need for a parliamentary friendship committee between the two countries.
The Iraqi Ambassador said that the Nigerian Mission in Baghdad has been closed for many years even after the Iraqi war, adding that Nigerians living in that country have to go to countries like Oman to be attended to diplomatically.
He pleaded with the Speaker to intervene on the matter, saying that Baghdad currently houses over 140 missions.
