Ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, next month, the Nigerian embassy in Saudi Arabia, has cried out over its inability to renew papers of vehicles used by the embassy, most of which have long expired.
This was made known by the Charge d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy, Riyadh, Ambassador Tijjani Hammanjoda, while making his presentation at the 2015 pre-Arafat meeting, held in Jeddah, shortly before Arafat.
He stated the accumulated fines arose from the use of vehicles previously owned by states but used by private individuals in Saudi Arabia, after being sold to them.
He said: “We assist state governments to buy ambulances, but we register them with private numbers under the name of the embassy. But these vehicles are later sold to individuals. And these individuals have been committing traffic offences with them. Papers of the vehicles used by the embassy have all expired but we can’t renew them because of the huge debts arising from fines for the traffic offences.
“The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has been cooperating by assisting to pay, but NAHCON should sit with the states and see how the matter can be resolved. We will not be able to buy more vehicles too until the matter is resolved. And if you don’t pay such fines promptly, they increase with time,“ Hammanjoda, who did not disclose the amount, added.