The Senate has commenced the screening of career ambassadorial nominees submitted to it last week by President Bola Tinubu.
The screening commenced on Wednesday by Senator Sani Bello, APC, Niger North, who led the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The Committee screened several career ambassadorial nominees, including Ahmed Sulu Gambari, Maimuna Besto, Monica Enebechi, Ahmed Monguno, Kingsley Onaga, Magaji Umar and Aminu Nasir.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, APC, Ondo South, is not a career ambassadorial nominee, but as a serving senator in the 10th Senate, he appeared before his colleagues even though he was not originally among the nominees pencilled for screening, but he made a surprise entrance to the hall, and he was invited to "take a bow and go".
Recall that last week, the Committee screened Kayode Are (Ogun), Aminu Dalhatu (Jigawa) and Ayodele Oke (Oyo) with Oke.
There was, however, a mild drama during the screening as a career nominee, Emmanuel Adeyemi, got confused following a question many committee members asked, as he was saddled with the responsibility of naming all three senators from his home state of Ekiti.
Earlier during his introduction, Adeyemi, who is currently a deputy director in the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presented before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs an impressive résumé from Hong Kong and France, where he earned a PhD.
Trouble started when he attempted to pay tribute to "the two senators from my state".
He was able to mention Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central, and Senator Yemi Adaramodu, APC, Ekiti South, then he got confused as he could not remember the third senator from the state.
At this point, he was asked to name the third senator. Adeyemi appeared startled, prompting senators to remind him that three lawmakers represent every state.
As a member of his delegation scrambled to "Google" the name of the third lawmaker, Senator Cyril Fasuyi, APC, Ekiti North, the panel expressed outrage.
Not happy with what happened, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, APC, Cross River South, who took a swipe at what transpired, however, described it as emblematic of a troubling decline among public office nominees.
He said, "Much as we admit that one man can't know everything, it is expected that somebody like you, who has been nominated to represent the country as an ambassador, should know details like the three senators from your state.
"It is even important that the people we are presenting to the international perception of our country are competent enough to repair our image."
On their parts, Senators Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) and Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West) threw their weight behind the position of Ekpenyong, while Senator Yunus Akintunde, standing in for Senate Leader Bamidele, pleaded for leniency.
He said, "Please forgive him. Please let us overlook his mistake and pardon him for not knowing that Ekiti, like other states, has three senators," Akintunde said, though he also noted his disappointment at the frantic Google search.
Adeyemi is one of Tinubu's three nominees from Ekiti, alongside Erelu Angela Adebayo and Olumilua Oluwayemika.
Tinubu last week asked the Senate to confirm a massive batch of 65 ambassadorial nominees, invoking Section 171 (1), (2) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution, and urging lawmakers to "expeditiously" clear the list.
President Tinubu wrote to the Senate, forwarding for screening and subsequent confirmation 65 ambassadorial nominees.
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, read the President's request.
The list consists of 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners and 31 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners, totalling 65 nominees altogether.
The nominees, as read from two different lists by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary, fell into two categories: 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners and 31 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners designate.
One of the nominees is Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, immediate past sole administrator of Rivers State and former naval chief from Cross River State, as a non-career ambassador.
Tinubu also named Ita Enang, the former Senator from Akwa Ibom State; Chioma Ohakim, former Imo State first lady; and Abdulrahman Dambazau, former Minister of Interior and former Chief of Army Staff from Kano, as non-career ambassadors.
Their names were absent from the earlier batch of ambassadorial nominees released by the presidency.
Other notable names among the 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners are Ambassador Sulu-Gambari Olatunji Ahmed from Kwara State, Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno from Borno State, and Ambassador Maimuna Ibrahim from Adamawa State, etc.
President Tinubu, in the requests hinged on section 171, subsections 1, 2 and 4 of the 1999 Constitution, sought expeditious consideration of the nominees.
Accordingly, the President of the Senate forwarded the requests to Senator Abubakar Sani Bello, APC, Niger North, who led the Senator Committee on Foreign Affairs, for screening and reporting back within one week.
Recall that President Tinubu had earlier forwarded to the Senate three ambassadorial nominees for appointment confirmation.
The three earlier nominees, namely Kayode Are (Ogun State), Aminu Dalhatu (Jigawa) and Ayodele Oke (Oyo State), were screened on Wednesday by the Foreign Affairs Committee.
The full list of the ambassadorial nominees per state reads: "Ambassador Ezenwa Chukwuemeka (Abia), Maimuna Ibrahim (Adamawa), Monica Ogochukwu (Anambra), Ambassador Mohammed Mahmoud Lele (Bauchi), Endoni Sindo (Bayelsa) and Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Minguno (Borno).
Others are Jane Adams Okon Michael (Cross River), Clark Omeruo Alexandra (Delta), Chimma Geofrey Davies (Ebonyi), Oduma Yvonne Ehinose (Edo State), Wasa Segun Ige (Edo State), Ambassador Adeyemi Adebayo Emmanuel (Ekiti), Ambassador Onaga Ogechukwu Kingsley (Enugu) and Magaji Umar (Jigawa).
Other nominees in the category of Career Ambassadors are Mohammed Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna),
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
AbdulSalam Abus Zayat (Kano), Shehu Barde (Katsina), Aminu Nasiu (Katsina), Abubakar Musa (Kebbi), Mohammed Idris (Kebbi), Bako Adamu Umar (Kogi), Sulu Gambari Olatunji Ahmed (Kwara), Ramata Mohammed (Lagos), Shaga John Shama (Nasarawa), Salau Hamza Mohammed (Niger) and Ibrahim Danlami (Niger).
Others are Adeola Ibrahim Mopelola (Ogun), Reuben Abimbola Samuel (Ondo), Akande Wahab Adekola (Osun), Adedokun Esther (Oyo), Gedagi Joseph John (Plateau), Luther Obomode Ayokalata (Rivers), Danladi Yakubu Yaku (Taraba) and Bello Dogondaji (Zamfara).
Names on the list of the 31 non-career ambassadorial nominees are Senator Grace Bent (Adamawa), Senator Eta Enang (Akwa-Ibom), Nkechi Linda Okocha (Anambra), Mahmoud Yakubu (Bauchi), Philip K. Ikurusi (Bayelsa), Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (retired) (Cross River), Hon. Abasi Braimah (Edo) and Erelu Angela Adebayo (Ekiti).
Others are Barrister Olumilua Oluwayimika Ayotunwa (Ekiti), Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State), Barr. Mrs Chioma Ohakim (Imo State), Lt Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd.) (Kano State), Hon. Tasiu Musa Maigari (Katsina), Alhaji Abubakar Sanusi Aliyu (Kogi) and Olufemi Pedro (Lagos State).
Others are Barr. Mohammed Ubandoma Aliyu (Nasarawa), Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo), Ambassador Joseph Sola Iji (Ondo), Fani-Kayode (Osun), Professor O. Adewole (Osun), Florence Ajimobi (Oyo), Lola Akande (Oyo), Professor Nora Ladi Daduut (Plateau), Yakubu N. Gambo (Plateau), Chukwujinka Okocha (Rivers), Haruna Abubakar (Sokoto), Rt Hon Jerry Samuel Manwe (Taraba) and Adamu Garba Talba Nangree (Yobe).
