Senate Clears 84 New Ambassadors

Posted by admin Legislature, Senate Thursday, February 9th, 2012

The Senate yesterday confirmed the nominations of 84 out of the 88 ambassadorial nominees sent to it last year by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Twenty-eight of the confirmed envoys who are political nominees are non-career ambassadors while the remaining 56 are career envoys.

Among the new ambassadors are:, former Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Aviation, Chief Ojo Maduekwe and Fidelia Njeze respectively, former deputy governor of Oyo State, Mr. Taofeek Arapaja, returnee Ambassador, Esther Audu.

Three of the nominees could not scale the screening as the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which screened them did not recommend them for confirmation.
The nominees are Hon. Abubakar Bunu, Zamfara; Mrs. Sifawu Momoh, Edo; and Mazi Okafor Ojih, Ebonyi.

The last nominee, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu did not appear for screening apparently because she was still mourning her husband, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu who died late last year.
The four nominees who did not make it will however be re-screened next week.

In its report on the screening exercise presented at yesterday’s plenary, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Mathew Nwagwu gave reasons for the non-clearance of the three nominees.

On Bunu, the committee said: “He demonstrated a fair knowledge of Nigerian issues, but his knowledge of Foreign relations, diplomacy and global affairs was not impressive. The committee did not find him suitable.”

On Momoh, the report said: “The nominee was not expressive when she appeared for the screening. She was nervous in her response to issues raised before her. She is not good in foreign relations, diplomacy or general questions. The committee was convinced that she is not a good material for ambassadorial appointment.”

It also noted that Ojhii was not forthcoming “with good responses to questions raised before him during the screening. The committee was not impressed with his performance which was below average.”

Others who were confirmed as non-career Ambassadors are, Hon. James Barka, Adamawa; Chief Asam Asam(SAN), Akwa Ibom; Mr. Okwudili Nwosu, Anambra; Mr. Okeke Chukwuemeka, Anambra; Mr. Eric Aworahbi, Bayelsa; Chive Kaave, Benue; Dauda Danladi, Borno; Mrs. Katherine Okon, Cross River; Hon Nwofe Alexander, Ebonyi; Princess Victorial Bosede Onipede, Ekiti; Sen. Haruna Garba, Gombe; Mrs. Nonye Rajis-Okpara, Imo; Chief Eddy Onuoha, Imo; Mr. Adamu Babangida Ibrahim, Katsina; Alhaji Tukur Mani, Katsina; Mr. Biodun Olorunfemi, Kogi; Mr. Olatokumboh Kamson, Lagos; Dr. Sam Jimba, Nasarawa; and Mr. Cornelius Oluwateru, Ondo.

Others are Col. Roland Omowa, Ondo; Mr. Akinyemi Faroubi, Osun; Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, Oyo; Mrs. Matilda Kwashi, Plateau; Senator Abdalah Wali, Sokoto and Senator Lawan Guba, Yobe.

All the career Ambassadors nominated were cleared by the committee, and the Senate at plenary confirmed the 56 nominees.

President of the Senate, David Mark, however asked the committee to re-screen the three nominees who failed the first screening within seven days, given the sensitive nature of the assignment involved.

-ThisDaywp_posts