Abdul-Rahman Abubakar & Turaki A. Hassan
8 October 2008
Nigeria's former Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Aminu Bashir Wali headed the list of 11 new ambassadorial nominees submitted to the Senate for consideration and confirmation by President Umaru Yar'adua yesterday.
The nominees' names were read on the Senate floor yesterday by Senate President David Mark. There were six career and another five non career nominees.
Apart from Wali, from Kano, other non-career nominees were Isaac Onu (Kogi), Adamu Daura (Katsina), Lawrence Nwurukwu (Ebonyi) and Mrs. Nkoyo Toyo, from Cross River.
The career nominees were Mr. H. Abdullahi (Niger), L. Bature (Katsina), L.O. Akindele (Oyo), Samuel Folorunso (Lagos), R.O. Eze (Enugu) and Ambassador Ghali Umar, from Kano.
President Yar'adua, in a letter to the Senate, said his action was in accordance to Section 171 (4) of the 1999 Constitution which stipulates that "An appointment to the office of Ambassador, High Commissioner or other Principal Representative of Nigeria abroad shall not have effect unless the appointment is confirmed by the Senate."
The request is expected to be considered by the Senate today, after which the process of consideration will be referred to the committee on foreign affairs for screening and recommendation.
Meanwhile, Senate President David Mark yesterday administered the oath of allegiance on Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo (PDP, Kano North) who was recently declared winner of the 2007 election in the senatorial district. Senator Gwarzo defeated Alhaji Ami-nu Garo, who lost his case both at the Kano State Election Tribunal and at the Appeal Court. The Senate will also debate on a motion proposed by Senator Uche Chukwumerije, who alerted it on the plight of over fifty Nigerians now on death row in Indonesia. Chukwumerije came under Order 42 of Senate Standing Rules, saying the matter in the motion is of urgent national importance.
He said out of the number of Nigerians awaiting execution in Indonesia, "eighteen of them are about to be executed. In fact they were to be executed earlier but because of the Ramadan fast, they delayed their execution."
After explaining to senators, Senator Mark put the question and it was agreed that the matter be discussed today for possible restraining action to be taken against the scheduled execution of the convicts by Indonesian authorities.
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