Abuja Croweded as Lobby for Postings intensifies

After months of waiting and apprehension, Ninety-five career ambassadors and non-career ambassadors-designate are to be posted to various Nigerian missions abroad, the Federal Government has said.

This follows the approval of the posting of the envoys by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday by its Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda.

While Aduda did not state when the President gave the approval, he noted that those to be posted included 43 career ambassadors and 52 non-career ambassadors.

He said following the development, the government has already commenced the process of requesting Agrément from the prospective host countries.

The permanent secretary revealed that the ministry would organise an induction course for the ambassadors-designate and their spouses.

He explained that the event which would hold on a date to be announced soon was to prepare and facilitate the movement of the ambassadors-designate to their respective missions.

Recall that this is coming nine months after President Buhari nominated 42 career ambassadors-designate to the Senate for confirmation.

In a letter dated May 6, 2020, the President informed the lawmakers that his request was in accordance with section 171 (1),(2)(c), and subsection (4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

“I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate, the under-listed forty-two (42) names of nominees as Career Ambassadors-Designate,” he had said in the letter.

The ambassadors-designate who were nominated included C.O Nwachukwu; A. Kafas, R. U. Brown, G. A. Odudigbo, O. C. Onowu, Y. S. Suleiman, E. S. Agbana, B. B. M. Okoyen, G. M. Okoko, A. M. Garba, M. l. Bashir, M. O. Abam, A. E. Allotey, G. E. Edokpa, and A. N. Madubuike.

Others are Adamu Lamuwa, Innocent lwejuo, M. S. Abubakar, Y. A. Ahmed, S. D. Umar, A. Sule, G. Y. Hamza, N. Rimi, L S. Ahmed-Remawa, M. Manu, l. R. Ocheni, l. A. Yusuf, M. Abdulraheem, W. A. Adedeji, and A. U. Ogah.

Also among the ambassadors-designate are A. A. Musa, N. A. Kolo, S. O. Olaniyan, A. R. Adejola, E. Awe, O. Aluko, I. A. Alatishe, V. A. Adeleke, M. S. Adamu, l. N. Charles, Z M. lfu, and B. B. Hamman.

In another letter dated July 1, 2020, the President asked the Senate to confirm one career ambassador-designate and 39 non-career ambassadors- designate.