The Nigerian Senate has confirmed 45 non-career ambassadorial nominees presented for legislative approval by President Muhammadu Buhari in January, this year.
However, two of the nominees were rejected. The affected nominees, whose rejections were based on the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs are 82 year old Justice Sylvanus Nsofor from Imo State and Mr. Jacob Igbekele Daodu from Ondo State.
The confirmation exercise on Thursday, followed the consideration of the report of the committee on foreign affairs, which screened the nominees before presentation at the plenary and adopted by the lawmakers.
The Chairman of the committee, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, while presenting the report, said the Imo State nominee Justice Nsofor looked frail and tired, while his responses to the issues raised during screening were either not answered or devoid of details and mostly satirical.
According to her, the Ondo State nominee, Mr. Daodu didn’t in any way respond to issues raised at the screening with satisfactory answers, aside alleged negative security report against him by the Department of State Services.
“During the screening exercise, the nominee did not have direct bearing to the issues raised and were not satisfactory to the committee’s expectation. Besides, there is an adverse report on the nominee’s suitability for appointment as ambassador,” she stated.
Those who were approved by the upper legislative chamber include: Uzoma Emenike (Abia), Aminu Iyawa (Adamawa), Maj Gen Godwin Umoh Rtd (Akwa Ibom), Christopher Okeke (Anambra), Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi), Baba Madugu (Bauchi), Stanley Diriyai (Bayelsa) Stephen Ugba (Benue) Baba Ahmad Jidda (Borno) Etubom Asuquo (Cross River), Frank Efeduma (Delta) Jonah Odo (Ebonyi), and Uyagwe Igbe from Edo State.
Others are: Eniola Ajayi (Ekiti), Chris Eze (Enugu), Suleiman Hassan (Gombe), Justice Sylvanus Nsofor (Imo), Amin Dalhatu (Jigawa), Ahmed Bamilli and Deborah Iliya (both from Kaduna), Prof D. Abdulkadir and Haruna Ungogo (both from Kano), Justice Isa Dodo and Mohammadu Rimi Barade (both from Katsina), and Tijani Bande from Kebbi State.
Also confirmed were, Prof. Y. Aliu (Kogi) Nurudeen Mohammed and Prof Mohammed Yisa (both from Kwara), Justice George Adesola Oguntade and Modupe Irele (both from Lagos), Musa Mohammad (Nasarawa), Ahmed Musa Ibeto (Niger), Suzanne Aderonke Folarin (Ogun), Jacob Igbekele Daodu (Ondo), Afolahan Adeyemi (Osun), and Maj Gen Ashimiyu Olaniyi from Oyo State.
They also include, James Dmika and Haruna Abdullahi (both from Plateau), Orji Ngofa (Rivers), Sahabi Isa Gada and Kabir Umar (both from Sokoto) Jika Ado (Taraba), Goni Zanna Bura (Yobe), Garba Gajam and Capt Bala Mohammad Mairiga (both from Zamfara) and Habbiss Ibrahim Ugbada from the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
In his remarks, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki commended the committee for a thorough screening exercise and urged the nominees to remain exemplary in their leadership, irrespective of the country they are posted to serve.
