Senate Rejects List Of Non-Career Ambassadors

The Nigerian senate, on Tuesday, rejected the ambassadorial list sent to it for approval by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume and seconded by the Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, the Senate resolved that the list of nominees should be sent back to the Presidency, citing controversies and plethora of petitions emanating from the list as reason behind its rejection.

The Chairman of Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu had earlier said that her committee could not commence screening of the 47 Non-career Ambassadorial Nominees due to litany of petitions that saturated the committee secretariat.

“We find it very difficult to commence screening for the Non-career Ambassadorial Nominees. We received over 250 petitions against some of the nominees,” she said.

The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki thereby ruled that the presidency should readjust the list before submitting to the Senate.

Some notable nominees are retired Justices of the Supreme Court, Justice George Oguntade; former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Mrs. Paulen Tallen; former member of the House of Representatives, Usman Bugaje; and former Deputy Governor of Niger State, Ahmed Ibeto.

The nominees are Dr. Uzoma Ememke (Abia State), Dr. Clifford Zirra (Adamawa), Maj.-Gen. Godwin Umo (retd.) (Akwa Ibom), Christopher Okeke (Anambra), Yusuf Tugar (Bauchi), Baba Madugu (Bauchi), Brig.-Gen. Stanley Diriyai (Bayelsa), Dr. Enyantu Ifenne (Benue), Mohammed Hayatuddeen (Borno) and Dr. Etubom Asuquo (Cross River).

Also on the list are Francis Efeduma (Delta), Jonah Odo (Ebonyi), Uyagwe Igbe (Edo), Ayodele Ayodeji (Ekiti), Maj.-Gen. Chris Eze (retd.)(Enugu), Suleiman Hassan (Gombe), Amin Muhammad Dalhatu (Jigawa), Muhammad Yaro (Kaduna), Deborah Iliya (Kaduna), Prof. D. Abdulkadir (Kano), Haruna Ungogo (Kano), Justice lsa Dodo (Katsina), Dr. Usman Bugaje (Katsina), Prof. Tijjani Bande (Kebbi), Prof Y. O. Aliu (Kogi) and Nuruddeen Mohamed (Kwara).

Others are Prof. Mohamed Yisa (Kwara), Justice George Adesola Oguntade (retd.)(Lagos), Senator Olorunimbe Mamora (Lagos), Modupe Irele (Lagos), Musa Ilu Muhammad (Nasarawa), Mohammad Ibeto (Niger), Ade Asekun (Ogun), Sola Iji (Ondo), Adegboyega Ogunwusi (Osun), Maj.-Gen. Ashimiyu Olaniyi (retd.) (Oyo), Pauline Tallen (Plateau) and Dr. Haruna Bawa Abdullahi (Plateau).

Orji Ngofa (Rivers), Justice Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor (Rivers), Jamila Ahmadu-Suka (Sokoto), Kabiru Umar (Sokoto), Mustapha Jaji (Taraba), Goni Modu Zanna Bura (Yobe), Garba Gajam (Zamfara) and Cpt. Abdullahi Uba Garbasi (Zamfara) were also nominated.