One of the ministerial nominees, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has shared the difficulties she encountered as Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain during the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan.
Bianca said she was forced to live in a hotel for a year because of the poor condition of the Nigerian embassy in Madrid.
She disclosed this during her Senate screening on Wednesday.
Bianca Ojukwu, who has been nominated as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, explained to the Senate that the embassy’s dilapidated state did not reflect the image Nigeria should project abroad.
Her experience forced her to initiate a major renovation project to restore the facility.
“I would like to say that my past records speak for me,” Bianca stated. “As an ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain, I spent an entire year in one hotel room because when I got to Spain, the mission building was in such an appalling condition.”
She noted that the location of the building made the situation even more embarrassing.
“The embassy was located very close to the upscale estate of Galagao, where people would pass by on their way to various events and matches. It was disheartening that this decadent structure represented Nigeria in such a prestigious area,” she said.
Determined to address the problem, she took immediate action to oversee extensive repairs and renovations, not only of the embassy but also of the ambassador’s residence and other Nigerian properties in Spain.
“The Nigerian embassy in Madrid that you see today is the product of my time in that country,” Bianca said, stressing that her goal was to restore Nigeria’s image to reflect the nation’s dignity.