The Senate has refused to confirm all the 46 non-career ambassadorial nominees forwarded to it by President Muhammadu Buhari. It, however, approved all the 47 designated as career envoys.
There have been protests and complaints by some prominent members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including state governors, against the manner the President Buhari has been allegedly making political appointments without the input of other stakeholders.
Just last Monday, a meeting was held between the National Assembly leadership, representatives of the Governors’ Forum and the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa over the alleged lopsided political appointments.
At yesterday’s plenary, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Monsurat Sunmonu, whose panel was to screen the 46 non-career ambassadorial nominees, informed her colleagues that the committee had received over 250 petitions against the nominees.
While presenting the report on the screening, she submitted that the committee was at the crossroads in treating the list of the non-career ambassadors designates. She suggested that the list be referred back to the president to allow him redress the alleged shortcomings observed by the petitioners.
Sunmonu said: “We thought that the issue raised on the career nominees would be addressed in the list of the non-career ambassadorial nominees but unfortunately the 46 nominees have more troubles than the others.
“We have received over 250 petitions on the non-career nominees. We find it difficult to start screening. My proposal is that we return the list of the non-career nominees to the president to look at it again.”
When the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, put the question to voice vote, it was unanimously affirmed.
President Buhari had on October 20, sent 46 names of non-career ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation and approval.
Notable on the list rejected yesterday are the Deputy Director-General, Buhari Campaign Organisation, Senator Olorunibe Mamora (Lagos State); retired Justice of the Supreme Court, George Oguntade (Lagos); Yusuf Tuggar (Bauchi) and the immediate past deputy governor of Niger State, Ahmed Ibeto (Niger).
Two of the prominent politicians on the list, former National Secretary of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Usman Bugaje and a former deputy governor of Plateau State, Mrs. Paullen Tallen, had earlier rejected their nominations
Speaking after plenary yesterday, Senate Spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said that unless the issues arising from the 250 petitions were resolved, the Senate would not do anything about the nominees.
In confirming the 47 career nominees, the Senate ignored observations by senators that 14 of them had less than 30 months left to stay in service while three others couldn’t recite the National Anthem during the screening.
In his remarks after the confirmation, Saraki urged the entire 47 career ambassadors –designate, to be good envoys of the country wherever they were posted.
Guardian
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