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.