SENATE CONFIRMS 42 AMBASSADOR NOMINEES

The Senate at plenary, on Thursday, confirmed 42 ambassadorial nominees presented to it by President Muhammadu Buhari,for posting for Nigerian missions abroad. This followed the presentation and consideration of a report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs by its Chairman, Sen. Bulkachuwa Muhammad.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter addressed to President of the Senate and read on May 12, sought confirmation of the Senate for appointment of 42 nominees as career ambassadors to Nigerian foreign missions

The 42 ambassadors designate are: Chikezie Nwachukwu (Abia); Alex Kefas (Adamawa); Raymond Brown (Akwa Ibom); Godfrey Odudigbo (Anambra); Obinna Onowu (Anambra); Yakubu Suleiman (Bauchi)

“Also confirmed are: Ekpebike Agnana (Bayelsa); Benaoyagha Okoyen (Bayelsa); Mustapha Okoko (Benue); Aisha Garba (Borno); Mukhtar Bashir (Borno); Mfawa Abam (Cross River); Asari Allotey (Cross River).

“George Edokpa (Edo); Anderson Madubuike (Enugu); Adamu Lamuwa (Gombe); Innocent Iwejuo (Imo); Abubakar Sarki (Jigawa); Yakubu Ahmed (Jigawa); Suleiman Umar (Kaduna); Ahmed Sule (Kano); Gambo Hamza (Kano).”

Others are: Nura Rimi (Katsina); Lami Ahmed-Remawa (Katsina); Mohammed Manu (Kebbi); lngekem Ocheni (Kogi); lsmaila Yusuf (Kogi); Mistura Abdulraheem (Kwara).

“Wosilat Adedeji (Lagos); Ogah Ari (Nasarawa); A. A. Musa (Niger); Nart Kolo (Niger); Safiyu Olaniyan (Ogun); Abiodun Adejola (Ogun); Olawale Awe (Ondo); Olukayode Aluko (Osun); Ismail Alatishe (Osun); Victor Adeleke (Oyo).

“Matin Adamu (Plateau); lbim Charles (Rivers); Zachariah lfu (Taraba) and Bukar Hamman (Yobe).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the upper chamber also confirmed the nomination of Justice Monica Mensem, as the President of the Court of Appeal.

The confirmation followed a presentation of the report of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. The Chairman, Sen. Michael Bamidele, presented the report and it was considered at the senate committee of the whole.

Similarly, it also confirmed the nomination of Mr John Kolo for appointment as Commissioner of Federal Character Commission following a presentation of the report of the Committee on Federal Character and Inter -Governmental Affairs.

President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan remarked: “At the moment, many of our embassies don’t have the ambassadors or high commissioners. I will, therefore, urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to ensure they process the postings as quickly as possible. We need to have our interest protected in those countries. We have very strategic reasons why we should be represented properly in some of these countries. The absence of the ambassadors and high commissioners makes it difficult for a proper representation or even dispatches to the fatherland”.