President Muhammadu Buhari has written a letter to the Nigerian Senate requesting the red chamber to approve the Senate for the confirmation of 41 ambassadorial nominees.
This was contained in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, dated June 17, 2020 and sent out on Wednesday July 1, 2020.
In another letter, the President urged the upper chamber to confirm the appointment of three nominees as commissioners in the Federal Civil Service Commission.
He also sent out another letter seeking the approval of the Senate for the appointment of a federal commissioner for the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission.
The first letter, which conveys the 41 names of the Ambassadors-designate, opened with an introduction, “In accordance to section 171 (1), (2)(c) & sub-section (4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I have the honour to forward for confirmation, the underlisted forty-one (41) names of nominees as Non-Career Ambassadors-designate. Copies of their Curriculum Vitae are attached herewith.
The list has former Minister of Mines and Steels Development, Chief Sarafa Tunji Isola, representing Ogun State, Ademola Seriki (Lagos), Henry John Omaku (Nasarawa), Zara Muazu Umar (Kwara), Prof. M. A. Makarfi (Kaduna) and Mrs Nimi Akinkube (Ondo).
Also on the list of non-career nominees are former Managing Director, The Guardian Newspapers, Mr. Debo Adesina (Oyo), Omo Djebah, a former ThisDay editor and Dare Sunday-Awoniyi (Kogi), all of who were nominated by President Buhari.
Senator Philip Aduda raised a Point of Order on the omission of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the list of Non-Career Ambassadors read in the letter sent to the Senate by President Buhari.
Aduda, while thanking President Buhari, noted that the Senate should do something immediately to ensure that the FCT was carried along and given a sense of belonging by appointing a Non-Career Ambassador.
Although it was not included on the list, The DEFENDER was reliably informed that one of the nominees from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, was appointed as career ambassador, while the rest 41 are non-career nominees making the Buhari’s nominees 42 in all.
