Ambassadorial List: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Onyeama to appear before Senate

Ahead of Tuesday’s resumption date of the National Assembly after its short recess, Senate Commit­tee on Foreign Affairs will tomorrow, meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey On­yeama, over alleged ir­regularities in the ambas­sadorial list recently sent to the Upper Chamber for approval by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Making this disclosure in a telephone interview with The Authority, two members of the Commit­tee, Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe and Sonni Og­buoji said the Minister would appear before the lawmakers tomorrow but could not confirm wheth­er the SGF would also be in the meeting.

Recall that the Senate had shortly before it em­barked on Sallah break three weeks ago, sum­moned the Minister and the Secretary to the Gov­ernment of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir La­wal, to explain why some states of the federation were omitted in the list of ambassadorial nominees pending confirmation in the Senate.

Onyeama and Lawal were also expected to make explanations to the lawmakers on perceived irregularities in the list of the nominees, including an alleged selection of some junior officers in foreign service for an ambassado­rial appointment instead of their superior counter­parts.

The Senate made the resolutions sequel to its consideration of a point of order, raised by Sena­tor Joshua Dariye, who came under Orders 42 and 52.

However, the two pub­lic servants did not meet with the Senate Commit­tee as scheduled before the National Assembly went on the short recess.

Dariye had while mak­ing his submissions, ob­served that the ambas­sadorial list was full of omissions and irregulari­ties, and should be cor­rected before the Senate could consider it for ap­proval.

He said that in his state, Plateau, those nominated by the President were not qualified, as senior career officers in the foreign ser­vice from the state were left while their junior counterparts were picked.

He further said, “given the important role played by ambassadors, due dili­gence must be given and there should be a crite­ria to nominate qualified eminent Nigerians.

In his prayer, which was adopted by the Senate, Dariye said, “we should direct that the minister for foreign affairs and the SGF should appear before the Senate committee on foreign affairs to explain the omissions and irregu­larities, and the processes by which some of these names came about”.

[Breaking Times]