As Presidency
commends Senate over thorough screening of Ambassadorial nominees By Henry
Umoru & Joseph Erunke ABUJA- SENATE President Bukola Saraki yesterday read
the riot act to all the 47 Ambassadorial Nominees that were screened by the
Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, saying that they must represent Nigeria
positively in the countries they were posted to.
Speaking yesterday
in Abuja when the screened
Ambassadorial
nominees were presented to him, Senator Saraki who noted that they have made
history by going through the screening exercise, however charged the executive
to quickly as possible forward names of non career nominees to the Senate on
resumption in September, for thorough screening exercise, saying “the earlier
we have substantive ambassadors at our various foreign posts , the better at
this critical time of repositioning the country for better”.
“The ministerial
nominees, as you go forward are taking position in the history of the country.
Going forward, they will be representing our country on the global stage. “We
appeal to you to please make us proud, though there are challenges, I urge you
to look at things differently in your service to the nation.
As you know, it
is in the interest of our country to have ambassadors all over, as the absence
will slow down bilateral relations.
I wish you all the best. Out of the 47
ambassadorial nominees, Borno State has the highest number with 3, Kwara, Edo,
Ekiti and Anambra states having two each while remaining states except Bayelsa,
Ondo, Plateau and Ebonyi states have one each.
The Presidency on its part
yesterday hailed the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, over what it described
as “thorough and intellectual” manner in which the screening exercise of the
ambassadorial nominees sent to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari was
carried out. Speaking yesterday in Abuja, the Senior Special Assistant on
National Assembly Matters( Senate), Senator Ita Enang who described the
screening exercise as the most thorough he had witnessed, he also commended the
Senator Monsurat Sunmonu-led committee for dedication and commitment.
Senator
Enang spoke when he led a delegation of the Ambassadorial nominees immediately
after the screening exercise which was concluded yesterday on a courtesy visit
to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki. He said, “Let me use this opportunity
to commend the Senate committee for the way and manner in which the screening
exercise was carried out.
I must say it is the most thorough and intellectual
I’ve seen in my time here. ”Also, the committee has demonstrated by its
decision to screen the nominees despite the Senate being on recess that it is
committed and dedicated to service of our dear nation.” Meanwhile, the Senate
Committee on Foreign Affairs yesterday rounded off the screening of all 47
ambassadorial nominees. The screening which lasted three days took place at the
National Assembly in Abuja with Senator Monsurat Summonu Charing the committee.
At the end of the exercise yesterday, Chairman of the Committee, Senator
Monsurat Summonu who thanked her colleagues and the press for their hardwork
despite the recess, said, “We give Glory to God that 47 people have been
screened the exercise we started on Tuesday.
“On behalf of the Senate being led
by our Senate president, Bukola Saraki and all the principal officers and the
Senate committee on foreign affairs, I will like to express my gratitude to my
colleagues for sacrificing their time.
“They laid petitions last week and
discussed the petition and agreed to screen the 47 nominees. This is a big
sacrifice. We decided to cancel everything and put national interest first,”
she said. Others members of the Foreign Affairs Committee who were around
include the Deputy Chairman, Senator Shehu Sani; Senator James Manager; Senator
Clifford Ordia; Senator Sunny Ogbuoji; Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; Senator
Shaaba Lafiagi, Senator Olugbenga Ashafa, others.
Bakor Aliyu Usman from
katsina state, Eric Bell-gam from Rivers state, Inusa Ahmed from Nassarawa
state, Bankole Adegboyega Adeoye from Ogun state and Attahiru Halliru from
Sokoto state were the ambassadorial nominees that screened yesterday. More so,
D. A Agev from Benue state, T. Gongulong from Borno state, Hamzat Ibrahim from
katsina state, Oguntunwase Emmanuel Kayode from Ekiti state, Ibidapo Oluwasegun
from Osun state, Abu Abubakar from Gombe state and Adamu Shaibu from Federal
Capital Territory were also screened yesterday. Those screened on the first day
which was Tuesday: Vivian Nwunaku Okeke(Anambra), Enoch Pear Duchi(Kaduna),
Ibrahim Isah (Niger), Hakeem Balogun(Lagos) Jane Ada Ndem (Benue) Sakirat
Ogundero (Oyo), Lilian Ijeukwu Onoh(Enugu), Kenneth Nwachukwu(Imo) and Baba
Garba (Kano), Audu Ayinla Kadiri (Kwara), Rabiu Akawu (Kano), Salisu Umaru
(Adamawa), Janet Omoleegho Olisa(Delta), Hassan Mohammed Hassan (Borno), Manaja
Tulah Isah(Gombe). Those screened the second day being Wednesday: Sunday
Itegboye, Edo state; Iliyasu . A. Paragalda, Adamawa state; Iyang Udoh-Inyang,
Akwa-Ibom state; Obinna Chukwuemeka Agbugba, Abia state; Martins Nyong Cobham,
Cross river state; Ngozi Ukaeje, Imo state; Rahmatu Dunama, Taraba state; Nonye
Esther Udo, Anambra state; Munir Liman, Bauchi state; Odeka Janet Bisong, Cross
River state; Umaru Zainab-Salisu, Kebbi state; and Momoh Saidu Omeiza, Kogi
state, Kabiru Bala, Zamfara state; Queen Nworlu, Edo state; Abibat Sonaike Ogun
state; Michael Femi Abikoye, Kwara state; Musa Saban Maman, Yobe state; Bello
Kazaure, Jigawa state; Adesesan Olatunde, Ekiti state. President Muhammadu
Buhari had on Thursday, June 9, released the list of Ambassadorial nominees to
the Senate president, Bukola Saraki and he read out the list of the 47
ambassadors on the floor of the Senate. According to the letter, the nominees
are career diplomats who will oversee Nigeria’s mission outside the country.
Source: Vanguardngr
0 Comments