Ambassadorial Posting: ‘How Individuals Lobby, Power Blocs Influence Delayed Posting’

Facts have emerged to what might have caused the delay for the posting of the Ambassador-designates to man their various Nigerian Mission abroad.

This is coming few days after the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, announced that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the posting of Ambassador-Designates to Nigerian Missions abroad.

According to Nigeria’s immediate past Ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu Ode, a lot of exogenous influences could be displayed by individuals and power blocs to influence what should be a routine foreign ministry administrative occurrence (in liaison with the presidency, though).

The list of the nominees screened five months ago by the upper house of the National Assembly includes 43 Career Ambassadors and 52 Non-career Ambassadors.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, said that with the approval by President Buhari, “the process of requesting Agreement from the prospective host countries have commenced.

“The Ministry also wishes to inform that there will be an induction course for the Ambassador-Designates and their spouses which will hold on a date to be announced shortly to prepare and facilitate the movement of the Envoys to their respective Missions.”

But reacting to this delay, Nigeria’s immediate past Ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu Ode called on the federal government to fall back on its institutional memory to effect a non-reoccurrence of such delays, according to report.

He said, “There should be, by now, some institutional memory of how it was dealt with in 2017 and how lapses experienced then can and should be improved on now and in the future.

“The delay in the deployment of Ambassadors five months after their confirmation by the upper house of the National Assembly is also an encore!

“In 2016, Ambassadors that were confirmed were not deployed until 2017. That situation left most missions in the hands of relatively junior and inexperienced officers with the attendant negative consequences.”

He also urged the foreign ministry in meeting financial obligations, rents, local and home-based stall emoluments and insurance of properties.

“These sorts of challenges are not, in my view, entirely unexpected due to the slow response capacity of our bureaucracy to challenges of this sort. And that shouldn’t be so for the very fact of the negative shadow it can cast on our national image.

“It may not be totally out of place to speculate that a lot of exogenous influences could be displayed by individuals and power blocs to influence what should be a routine foreign ministry administrative occurrence (in liaison with the presidency, though). Such administrative undertakings must have the guiding principle of round pegs in round holes as a watchword,” he said.

Meanwhile, in the list released, Dr. Uzoma Emenike, Nigeria’s current Ambassador to Ireland, was posted as the country’s new envoy to the United States, according to new postings approved by President Muhammadu Buhari. M.I. Bashir will serve as deputy ambassador.

The president also approved the posting of a former Minister of State for Defence, Demola Seriki, to Spain as the country’s Ambassador, while sending former Minister of Mines and Steel, Sarafat Ishola, as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Debo Adesina, the Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian, will serve as the Ambassador to Togo.
There are 52 non-career envoys posted out by the President and 43 career ambassadors based on the confirmed list from the Senate.

About 11 ambassadors were re-appointed but eight were retained in their current countries of posting while three others were redeployed.

The list shows that the eight ambassadors that will remain at their duty posts include:  Mohammed Rimi (United Arab Emirates), Jidda Baba (China), Gani Bura (Lebanon), Yusuf Tuggar (Germany), Baba Madugu (Switzerland) and Deborah Illiya (Congo).

Ambassador Tijani Muhammmad-Bande will also retain his position as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York while Adeyinka Asekun will remain the High Commissioner to Canada.

According to the list, Modupe Irele, Nigeria’s current Ambassador to France, is to proceed to Hungary, just as  Eniola Ajayi, the Ambassador to Hungary will be going to the Netherlands.

Ms Ijeoma Chineyerem will be going to Ireland, while Oma Djebah will be posted to Thailand Other non-career envoys here include Abdulahi Shehu (Russia), Haruna Manta (South Africa), Kayode Laro (France), Paul Adikwu (The Vatican), Abubakar Moriki (Japan), Mrs. Opunimi Akinkugbe (Greece) and Ali Magashi (South Korea).

Other postings include M.O. Abam (Italy), N.A. Kolo (Israel), A. Sule (India), G.Y. Hamza (Ghana), A.N. Madubike (Australia) and O.C Onowu (Belgium).

The remaining appointees will be expected to serve as deputy ambassadors or heads of mission.

The following will serves as deputy envoys or heads of mission: A.E. Alleboy (Deputy Ambassador to France), G.E. Edokpa (Deputy Permanent Representative to The UN), Ben Okoyen (Cuba), G.M. Okeke (Deputy Head of Mission to Switzerland),  S.Sani to London, (Deputy High Commissioner to UK), I.A Iwejuo (Ethiopia as Deputy Ambassador), I.A. Alatishe (Deputy Ambassador to Russia) and I.R. Ocheni (Germany).