Buhari’s letter of request was read on the floor at plenary by the Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

Among the nominees ar: Debo Adesina (Oyo), Exco-Minister of State for Defence, Ademola Seriki (Lagos) and Dare Sunday Awoniyi (Kogi).

Also, Buhari asked the Upper Chamber to confirm Sulyman Sani as a Career Ambassador representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Sulyman’s nomination may not be unconnected with the protest by the Senator Philip Aduda (FCT) that the territory was neglected in the earlier list of Career Ambassadors sent to the Senate for confirmation.

Following the reading of Buhari’s letter, Senator Aduda, through a point of order, thanked the Senate President for helping to ensure that the FCT was not relegated in the appointment of the Career Ambassadors.

He said that he believes that the President of the Senate would also intervene to ensure that the FCT is represented in the appointment of Non-Career Ambassadors.

Other Non-Career Ambassadors-Designate include: Engr Umar Suleiman (Adamawa), L.S. Mandama (Adamawa), Oboro Effiong Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Chief Elijah Onyeagba (Anambra), Abubakar D. Ibrahim Siyi (Bauchi), Philip K. Ikurusi (Bayelsa), Hon. Tarzoor Terhemen (Benue), Paul Ogba Adikwu (Benue), Al-Bashir Ibrahim Al-Hassan (Borno), Brig. Gen. Bwala Yūsuf, Bukar (Borno) and Prof. Monique Ekpong (Cross River).

Also on the list are: Oma Djebah (Delta), Ominyi N. Eze (Ebonyi), Yamah Mohammed Musa (Edo), Maj. Gen. C.O. Ugwu (Enugu), Dr. Hajara I. Salim (Gombe), Obiezu Ijeoma Chinyerem (Imo), Ali M. Magashi (Jigawa), Prof. M.A. Makarfi (Kaduna), Hamisu Umar Takalmawa (Kano), Jazuli Imam Galandanci (Kano), Amina Ado Kurawa (Kano), Amb. Yahaya Lawal (Katsina), Ibrahim Kayode Laaro (Kwara), Abioye Bello (Kwara).

The President also nominated Zara Maazu Umar (Kwara), Henry John Omaku (Nasarawa), Chief Sarafa Tunji Isola (Ogun), Mrs. Nimi Akinkube (Ondo), Adejaba Bello (Osun), Adeshina Alege (Oyo), Ms. Folakemi Akinyele (Oyo), Shehu Abdullahi Yibaikwal (Plateau), Hon. Maureen Tamuno (Rivers), Faruk Yabo (Sokoto), Adamu M. Hassan (Taraba), Alhaji Yusuf Mohammed (Yobe) and Abubakar Moriki (Zamfara) as non-Career Ambassadors-Designate.

Buhari, in one of his letters titled: “Appointment of non-career Ambassadors-Designate” said: “In accordance to 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-one (41) names of nominees as Non-Career Ambassadors-Designate.”

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The light went off at exactly 12:13 pm and the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which is conducting the exercise for the 46 nominees, had to continue with the screening in darkness when light failed to come on.

Sen. Monsurat Sunmonu, Chairperson, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs said in Abuja on Tuesday that the screening was in line with section 171, Sub section 4 of the 1999 Constitution.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Jan. 12, re-submitted a list of 46 non-career ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.

The chairperson said the Senate would ensure that it selected and confirmed the best nominees that would represent Nigeria in the international arena to enable it compete favourably with other nations.

“The committee expects that your performance during the screening would be commensurate to the task of the assignment you are nominated for.

“You should equally have it in mind the dynamics of foreign policy and relations between Nation-states that requires timely action on all matters affecting the well-being of Nigerians in all countries of the world.”

“I assure you of the committee’s determination in the conduct of this assignment to be just and fair to all nominees, without compromising the strict selection process of qualified individuals among you that will represent Nigeria abroad.

“I also wish to use this opportunity to bring to your notice, reported cases of the inaccessibility and preferential treatments of our citizens by some Nigerian Envoys.

“And to strongly caution you to desist from such behaviour, if eventually confirmed.”

Sunmonu said the committee would carry out a thorough job to ensure that good hands were deployed at the end of the exercise.

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The lawmakers said the list will be sent back to President Muhammadu Buhari “for resubmission and re-jigging.”

Some notable nominees are retired Justices of the Supreme Court, Justice George Oguntade; former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Mrs. Paulen Tallen; former member of the House of Representatives, Usman Bugaje; and former Deputy Governor of Niger State, Ahmed Ibeto.

The nominees are Dr. Uzoma Ememke (Abia State), Dr. Clifford Zirra (Adamawa), Maj.-Gen. Godwin Umo (retd.) (Akwa Ibom), Christopher Okeke (Anambra), Yusuf Tugar (Bauchi), Baba Madugu (Bauchi), Brig.-Gen. Stanley Diriyai (Bayelsa), Dr. Enyantu Ifenne (Benue), Mohammed Hayatuddeen (Borno) and Dr. Etubom Asuquo (Cross River).

Also on the list are Francis Efeduma (Delta), Jonah Odo (Ebonyi), Uyagwe Igbe (Edo), Ayodele Ayodeji (Ekiti), Maj.-Gen. Chris Eze (retd.)(Enugu), Suleiman Hassan (Gombe), Amin Muhammad Dalhatu (Jigawa), Muhammad Yaro (Kaduna), Deborah Iliya (Kaduna), Prof. D. Abdulkadir (Kano), Haruna Ungogo (Kano), Justice lsa Dodo (Katsina), Dr. Usman Bugaje (Katsina), Prof. Tijjani Bande (Kebbi), Prof Y. O. Aliu (Kogi) and Nuruddeen Mohamed (Kwara).

Others are Prof. Mohamed Yisa (Kwara), Justice George Adesola Oguntade (retd.)(Lagos), Senator Olorunimbe Mamora (Lagos), Modupe Irele (Lagos), Musa Ilu Muhammad (Nasarawa), Mohammad Ibeto (Niger), Ade Asekun (Ogun), Sola Iji (Ondo), Adegboyega Ogunwusi (Osun), Maj.-Gen. Ashimiyu Olaniyi (retd.) (Oyo), Pauline Tallen (Plateau) and Dr. Haruna Bawa Abdullahi (Plateau).

Orji Ngofa (Rivers), Justice Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor (Rivers), Jamila Ahmadu-Suka (Sokoto), Kabiru Umar (Sokoto), Mustapha Jaji (Taraba), Goni Modu Zanna Bura (Yobe), Garba Gajam (Zamfara) and Cpt. Abdullahi Uba Garbasi (Zamfara) were also nominated.

State governors had protested against their non-involvement in the selection of the non-career ambassadorial nominees by Buhari.

Tallen and Bugaje had rejected their nominations, citing failure to duly consult them.

Imo State and the Federal Capital Territory, which had representatives among the 47 career ambassadorial nominees, did not get any nominees in the non-career batch.

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President Muhammadu Buhari had on June 9 forwarded the list of 47 career Ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

The nominees who are all career diplomats with not less than 30 years in service have all been screened but yet to be confirmed. They were screened in July by the Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Senator Monsurat Sunmonu.

Other members of the Committee are: Shehu Sani (Vice Chairman), Enyinnaya Abaribe, Shaaba Lafiagi, Sonni Ogbuoji, James Manager among others.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that unless members of the Committee have a rethink, the Ambassadorial Nominees may not be confirmed this year.

A top official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that the confirmation is being delayed because the Ministry could not meet the demands of the Committee.

According to the source, some members of the Committee allegedly demanded for gratification to facilitate the confirmation which the Ministry could not provide.

It was learnt that when the demand could not be met, members of the Committee allegedly also requested that the Ministry should sponsor them to attend the last United Nations General Assembly in New York, which the Ministry could not also do.

Our correspondent learnt that because the above demands could not be met, the Committee members are now saying that the Ambassadorial nominees would not be confirmed unless the President send the list of non-career Ambassadors who in most cases would be politicians.

It was also gathered that the leadership of the Senate may be suing the various confirmation pending as bait to get some things from the Executive.

“It is sad that our Senators feel there is nothing wrong if we don’t have Ambassadors in our Foreign Missions.

“We have reports from the different Missions that our country is being excluded from most diplomatic functions because we don’t have Ambassadors.

“It is the prerogative of Mr. President to appoint non-career Ambassadors and he may decide not to do so because of the recession we are experiencing.

“You know the career diplomats are civil servants and they draw salaries from government while appointing non-career Ambassadors will be additional burden on government.

“At the level of the Ministry, I can tell you that we have tried our possible best to lobby and appeal to the committee members to table the report at plenary for approval but to no avail,” the top official told our correspondent.

The chairman, Senate Committee on Media & Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, could not be reached for comment on the delay in confirming the Ambassadorial nominees.

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There was, however, drama during the exercise as some of the nominees, who were drilled by members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, could not recite the national anthem and the national pledge smoothly.

The nominees were asked questions ranging from diplomatic issues to the names of the senators representing their states, their geo-political zones and the states in them, how many local government areas in their states, how many lawmakers in the Senate, among others.

While some of them stuttered while reciting either the anthem or the pledge, others missed their lines in the process.

Vivia Okeke (Anambra State), who was asked to recite the anthem, murmured when she got to the second to the last line of the first stanza, “One nation bound in freedom.” The panelists however came to her rescue.

Ibrahim Isah from Niger State, who is currently serving in Turkey, was asked to recite the national pledge. When he reached the third to the last line, he said, “To defend her unity and integrity,” instead of “to defend her unity and uphold her honour and integrity.”

Hakeem Balogun from Lagos State, who currently serves in the United States, recited the old national anthem to a point and was asked to start again and he got it right.

Jane Ndem from Benue State, who currently serves in Japan, got the number of lawmakers in the Senate (109); she also got the names of senators representing her state but when she was asked to name 12 states in Nigeria and their capital, she got 11 but named Lagos and Lagos as its capital instead of Ikeja.

Shakirat Ogundero from Oyo State was able to name two out of three presidential candidates in the 2015 election – Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.

Baba Garba, while reciting the pledge, skipped the “to serve Nigeria with all my strength” line, he returned to it and skipped “to defend her unity” again.

Janet Bisong from Delta State, while apologising for not being able to state the number of local government areas in her state, was interrupted by one of the panelists, Senator James Manager, who is from Delta, saying, “You know it; it’s 25.”

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, who led the nominees before the panel, after the exercise was postponed to Wednesday, however, said the reports of nominees not been able to recite the anthem and the pledge, which were already trending online, were not true.

But a senator in the panel, in a chat with journalists after the session, said Enang lied on the performance of the nominees.

“That was a lie. Everybody saw what happened. We were there; journalists were there; the cameras and the tapes were there. How can diplomats not know the anthem and the pledge of their country? If it were lawmakers now, he (Enang) would come for us,” he said.

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According to one of such petitions made available to our correspondent, the aggrieved officers who are all on Grade Level 17 (Director) noted that the list lost sight of seniority which has always been a major prerequisite in the appointment of career Ambassadors.

A cursory look at the list of senior officers in the cadre of director in the Ministry shows that most senior officers in some states were skipped in favour of their juniors even when they still have up to 18 months in service.

The petitioners posited that some states like Cross River, Kano, Kaduna, Gombe and Anambra have consistently been favoured in ambassadorial appointments in the last few years.

The aggrieved directors also faulted the position being bandied around that Directors who have less than 30 months to retirement were not considered in the latest appointment.

According to the petition, the principle appears discriminatory as “An officer from Gombe had less than 14 months and he was nominated as Ambassador – Designate,” yet, others from the southern part of the country in the same bracket are not considered.

“The general outlook of the list is not clear and no apparent order or criteria were used thereby making room for insinuations and speculations.

“For instance, where as some States such as Cross River, Kano, Kaduna, Gombe, Anambra (consistently favoured at every appointment in the last four years against others) were allotted two slots, Osun State was given only one and yet two of us are due and qualified and am the most Senior of the two and I was skipped.

“The rumour being bandied around was that any officer, in this case, Director who has less than 30 months to retirement will not be considered for ambassadorial appointment. This principle is discriminatory as on officer from Gombe had less than 14 months and he was nominated as Ambassador – Designate.

“I believe it is to avoid chaos or misgiving based on experience over the years that informed the Ministry to use Seniority and quota while at the same time respect Federal Character principle.

“Regrettably, the list forwarded to the National Assembly including Senate does not put the above factors into consideration and that act has put me, at a disadvantage.

“The common practice is to select the most Senior Director in each State and follow the perk in that order.

“It is also noteworthy that the abiding principles that guide staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs such as, Seniority, quota, apolitical and anti-corruption tendencies, among others, have all been thrown overboard in this last exercise, which tends to explain why we find ourselves in this situation.

“Some Deputy Directors SGL (16) who joined the Foreign Service 10 years after my set was selected behind me without any justification.

“Yet, these Officers still have more than 10 years in the Service! So, whose interests are being served by this odd development? Seriously speaking, it appears that the Presidency does not know many things about the list because it is a ‘tsunami’.

“It is regrettable that the values we share and bind us together have suddenly been jettisoned. In effect, rather than progressing and embracing good governance, the list if not improved upon, we will be promoting corruption and indiscipline, which the Buhari Administration frowns at and condemns,” one of the petitions stated.

As a way out, the petitioners suggested that the Presidency could consider conferring the title of Ambassador-in-situ on those skipped if they have been found to have discharged their duties diligently and without disciplinary case in the last three decades.

They recalled that “In a Council decision during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006, Government had approved for Deputy Directors (SGL 16) and above to automatically be conferred Ambassador – in situ title once they attain SGL 16 and above.

The concerned officers therefore, appealed to the Presidency and the National Assembly to put this development into context and salvage the ugly situation that is fast dividing the Foreign Ministry along ethnic line.

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This was announced by the president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, during the sitting of the upper legislative chamber on Thurssday.

Saraki read a letter from Buhari containing the list but names of the nominees are yet to be made public.

Nigeria has had no ambassadors to UK, Germany, USA, China, U.N., Spain, Russia and France after previous envoys were removed by Buhari after taking office in May 2015.

The nominees are to be screened by the Senate before their deployment to the country’s foreign embassies.

President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded a list of his ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

The Senate is however yet to fix date for the screening and subsequent confirmation of the nominees.

Full list of ambassadorial nominees:
1. Obinna Chukwuemeka
2. Salisu Umoru
3. Iyang Udoh Iyang
4. okeke Vivian Nwanaku
5. Niman Munir
6. Edem Jane Ada
7. Muhammed Hassan Hassan
8. Martin Young Cobham
9. Janet Molegbo Olisah
10. Itegbuoye Sunday
11. Olatunde Adesesan
12. Lilian Ijekwu Onu
13. Manaja Tulahi Isa
14. Ngozi Ukeje
15. Bello Kazaure Huseini
16. Inoc Pierre Ducci
17. Garba Baba
18.Usman Bakori Aliyu
19. Umar Zainab Salisu
20. Momoh Seyidou Umieza
21. Kadri Ayinla
22. Balogun Hakeem
23. Nosa Ahmed
24. Ibrahim Isa
25. Bankole Adegboyega Adeoye
26. Ibidapo Obe Oluwasegun
27. Ogundayo Sakirat
28. Eric A. Belgam
29. Ateru Aliru
30.Ramata Bulima
31. Musa Rahman
32. Kabiru Bala
33. Damu Shuaibu
34. D. A Agiv
35. TK Gonglong
36. Ibrahim Hamza
37. KC Nwachukwu
38. Q.R Lolu
39. E.K Oguntuwase
40. A.I Paragauda
41. L.A Gasharga
42. Olufemi Abikoye
43. Abubakar Ibrahim
44. Rabiu Kauru
45. Odeka Janet Biong
46. Adekunbi Abibat

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