Disgraceful To Nominate Omokri, Fani-Kayode, Others With Questionable Character As Ambassadors – HURIWA

Prominent pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has described as unfortunate and disgraceful the list of ambassadorial nominees recently sent to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu.

The Rights group dismissed some of them as sycophants and men who are ethically challenged, lack integrity and are selfish.

THE WHISTLER reports that Tinubu had sent the names of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, days after he sent the first batch of three names.

In two separate letters to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu asked the Senate to consider and confirm 15 nominees as career ambassadors and 17 nominees as non-career ambassadors.

In a media release by the spokespersons of the President Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Nigerians were informed that there were four women on the career ambassadors’ list and six women on the non-career ambassadors’ list.

Among the non-career ambassador designates are Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu said to be from Abia, a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta) just as others Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode a former junior minister of Aviation (Osun).

Reacting in a statement issued by the group’s National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko on Sunday, the group said the President spent all of two years and half into his four year tenure searching for persons to post abroad to represent Nigeria and ended up picking internally displaced politicians, sycophants and persons who are deeply ethically challenged.

The Rights group said it was immoral and despicable that President Tinubu has turned the ambassadorial positions as the jobs for the boys or as compensation for dubious politicians who sabotaged their own political party in the 2023.

The Rights group alleged that the duo of Femi Fani-Kayode and especially Mr. Reno Omokri were particularly compensated for always pouring insults on Peter Obi and for spreading total falsehoods or half truths to attempt to undermine the integrity and credibility of Peter Obi.

HURIWA singled out Mr. Reno Omokri a man who was critical of the then presidential candidate Bola Tunubu whom he called unprintable names but capitulated when it was alleged that he was heavily financially induced by the now president Tinubu to become his full time praise-singer and propagandist.

HURIWA also dismissed the appointments of wives of former governors whose only qualification is the fact that they are married or were married to governors who were or are allies of President Tinubu but their appointment is not on merit, competencies or for any special negotiations skills they they have to represent the country and advance the interest of Nigeria.

“Most of these political jobbers appointed as ambassadors are not patriotic citizens and can’t even recite the National Anthem.

“The National Assembly unfortunately is populated by executive boot lickers and legislative sycophants of the president and so aren’t independent enough to conduct a thorough and profoundly strategic screening of these sycophants and internally displaced politicians picked as ambassadors,” the group said.