As the Federal Government is ready to send out a new list of nominees for diplomatic assignments, new controversy has surfaced regarding the proposed ambassadorial nominations by Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The list is anticipated to be received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nigeria next week for vetting before to final confirmation and deployment, according to official sources.
However, it has been claimed that Nigeria’s diplomatic community is unhappy about the proposed deployments.
About 95% of professional ambassadors are anticipated to be assigned to African nations, while non-career political appointees may be placed in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas, according to sources familiar with the issue.
Some diplomatic sources criticized the agreement, calling it ill-advised, in an interview with Sahara Reporters.
Nigeria’s diplomatic interests could be jeopardized at a time of increased international tensions, according to one government source.
The source stated that sending 95% of professional ambassadors to African nations and all non-career political ambassadors to Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North America, and South America was a foolish plan on the part of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
According to the source, Nigeria should send its most seasoned ambassadors to key areas as geopolitical tensions around the world rise and the country comes under more international scrutiny.
“Is this not the right time to send skilled and experienced diplomats to promote and protect our valued national interests in strategic locations at a time when Nigeria is under President Trump’s scrutiny and global flashpoints are boiling?” the source continued.
Additionally, sources pointed out that Reno Omokri and Femi Fani-Kayode, two well-known administration allies, were left off of the list that is presently making the rounds in diplomatic circles.
They could yet be nominated in the last round of the process, according to insiders.
One source claims that after the list is officially reviewed, Fani-Kayode might be assigned to Germany and Omokri might be considered for posting to Spain.
Career diplomats have reportedly become resentful of the seeming preference for political loyalists for important overseas assignments.
Some diplomatic service officials feel that political factors are taking precedence over their professional knowledge.
According to one source, “this Tinubu administration has never been focused on diplomacy.”
The source went on to say that sending seasoned diplomats to important foreign capitals would enhance Nigeria’s influence abroad and better safeguard its national interests.
Ogbole Amedu Ode, a former Nigerian ambassador to Mexico and Singapore, responded to the controversy by stating that the president’s constitutional authority ultimately governs the nomination and sending of ambassadors.
He claims that suggestions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are usually the foundation for such judgments.
These individuals are selected on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ recommendation. He stated, “The President has that authority and would be fully informed about their qualifications, background, and abilities.”
He continued by saying that station charters, which specify the goals an ambassador is expected to accomplish within a given time frame, serve as a guide for diplomatic deployments.
Ode added that Nigeria’s long-standing diplomatic philosophy may be reflected in the prevalence of career ambassadors in Africa.
“Our foreign policy revolves around Africa,” he declared.
According to sources, the following titles are on the initial list of ambassadorial postings:
Amb. Odumah Yvonne Ehinosen, Equatorial Guinea’s Malabo
Amb. Nwabiola Ezenwa Chukwumeka in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Niamey, Niger’s Besto Maimuna Ibrahim
Sao Tome, Monica Okwuchukwu Enebechi
Algiers, Algeria; Amb. Mohammed Mahmud Lele
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s Endoni Syndoph Paebi
Ahmed Mohammed Monguno in Cairo, Egypt
Michael, Ambassador Jane Adams (Okon), Kingston, Jamaica
Ambassador Clark-Omeru Alexandra, Lusaka, Zambia
Geoffrey Lioma David Chima, Bamako, Mali
Ambassador Wasa Segun Ige in Beirut, Lebanon
Rome, Italy’s Amb. Ayeni Adebayo Emmanuel
Onaga Ogechukwu Kinsley, Ambassador of Maputo, Mozambique
Amb. Magaji Umar, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Amb. Muhammad Saidu Dahiru, India’s New Delhi
Ambassador Abdussalam Habu Zayyad of Dakar, Senegal
Shehu Ilu Barde, Ambassador, Accra, Ghana
Ambassador Aminu Nasir in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
N’Djamena, Chad’s Abubakar Musa Musa
Ambassador Haidara Mohammed Idris, The Hague, Netherlands
Ambassador Bako Adamu Umar of Rabat, Morocco
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s Amb. Sulu Gambari Olatunji Ahmed
Amb. Romata Mohammed Omobolanle, Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam
Ambassador Shaga John Shamah of Gaborone, Botswana
Sallau Hamza Mohammed, Iran’s Tehran
Ambassador Ibrahim Danlami in Nairobi, Kenya
Cotonou, Benin’s Ibrahim Adeola Mopelola
Samuel Ruben Abimbola, Brussels, Belgium
Amb. Akande Wahab Adekola in Berne, Switzerland
Amb. Esther Arewa (Adedokun) of Windhoek, Namibia
Ambassador Gergadi Joseph John of Libreville, Gabon
Ambassador Luther Ogbomode Ayo-Kalata of Freetown, Sierra Leone
Sudan’s Danladi Yakubu Nyaku in Khartoum
Bangkok, Thailand’s Bello Dogon-Daji Haliru
