The Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, ex-presidential aide, Reno Omokri, and 60 others as ambassadors.
The decision followed the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which screened the ambassadorial nominees put forward by President Bola Tinubu.
The committee, in its report, stated that all the nominees were thoroughly screened and found suitable for appointment based on their qualifications, experience, conduct and knowledge of international diplomacy.
Thursday’s exercise came about 48 hours after the upper chamber confirmed three nominees of President Tinubu as non-career ambassadors.
The earlier confirmed nominees are Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun State), Aminu Dalhatu (Jigawa State) and Ayodele Oke (Oyo State).
Among those cleared on Thursday were former Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu; former Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Ita Enang; and Senator Grace Bent, among others.
In all, the list comprises 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners, and 30 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners, bringing the total number of confirmed nominees to 64.
Notable nominees among the 34 career ambassadorial appointees include Sulu-Gambari Ahmed from Kwara State, Segun Ige from Edo State, and Odumah Ehinosen, also from Edo State.
Presenting the report, the committee’s chairman, Senator Sani Bello (APC, Niger North), said all the nominees were found worthy of their appointments, adding that no petition was received against any of them.
In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, congratulated the appointees and urged them to represent Nigeria positively in their respective countries.
Akpabio also appealed to Senator Ibrahim not to sever ties with the National Assembly, urging him to keep in touch so that the Senate could continue to benefit from his wealth of knowledge and experience.
The confirmation came one week after the Senate dismissed reports that it had received petitions against some of President Tinubu’s ambassadorial nominees, including Fani-Kayode, Omokri and a former INEC chairman.
The Senate had denied claims circulating in political circles and on social media that some nominees were facing opposition ahead of their confirmation.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH during Thursday’s proceedings, the Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said no petition or letter of protest had been submitted to the upper chamber.
When asked specifically about alleged petitions, Adaramodu said he was not aware of any formal complaint.
He said, “I am telling you that we didn’t receive petitions from anybody, organisation or legal entity. Not even from any faceless, outlawed and rogue element. There was no petition against any nominee.”
Adaramodu also dismissed criticisms that nominees were merely asked to “take a bow and go,” a practice often criticised as superficial.
He said the screening sessions since Wednesday involved substantive engagement and questioning of nominees.
punch.ng
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