Buhari seeks Senate’s approval for 42 ambassadorial nominees

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, requested the Senate to approve 42 nominees as the country’s ambassadors.

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, read the President’s letter, as well as two other appointments into the board of the Law Reform Commission, and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, during plenary session.

The ambassadorial nominees’ request which was contained in a letter dated May 6, 2020, reads, “In accordance to section 171 (1),(2)(c) and subsection (4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate, the under-listed forty-two (42) names of nominees as Career Ambassadors-Designate.”

The Ambassadors-designate for confirmation are C.O Nwachukwu, Abia; A. Kafas, (Adamawa); R. U. Brown, (Akwa-Ibom); G. A. Odudigbo, (Anambra); O. C. Onowu, (Anambra); Y. S. Suleiman, (Bauchi); and E S. Agbana, (Bayelsa)

Others are,  B. B. M. Okoyen (Bayelsa); G. M. Okoko (Benue); A. M. Garba, (Borno); M. l. Bashir, (Borno); M. O. Abam, (Cross River); A. E. Allotey, (Cross River); G. E. Edokpa, (Edo;) and A. N. Madubuike, (Enugu).

The list also included Adamu Lamuwa, (Gombe); Mr. Innocent A. lwejuo, (lmo); M. S. Abubakar, (Jigawa); Y. A. Ahmed, (Jigawa); S. D. Umar, (Kaduna); A. Sule, (Kano); G. Y. Hamza, (Kano); N. Rimi, (Katsina); L S. Ahmed-Remawa, (Katsina); M. Manu, (Kebbi); l. R. Ocheni, (Kogi); l. A. Yusuf, (Kogi); M. Abdulraheem, (Kwara); Mrs. W. A. Adedeji, (Lagos); and A. U. Ogah, (Nasarawa).

The career ambassadors-designate also included A. A. Musa, (Niger); N. A. Kolo, (Niger); S. O. Olaniyan, (Ogun); A. R. Adejola, (Ogun), E. Awe (Ondo); O. Aluko, (Osun); I. A. Alatishe, (Osun); V. A. Adeleke, (Oyo); M. S. Adamu, (Plateau); l. N. Charles, (Rivers); Z M. lfu, (Taraba); and B. B. Hamman, (Yobe).

The Senate, also on Tuesday, received President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for the confirmation of Professor Jumai Audi, as a Chairman of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission.

Also to be confirmed are, Ebele Bernard Chima, Commissioner, South-East; Bassey Dan Abia, Commissioner, South-South; and Mohammed Ibraheem, Commissioner, South-West.

In a related development, the upper chamber also received a request from Buhari for the confirmation of Diana Okonta (South-South); and Ya’ana Talib Yaro (North-East) as Non-Executive Directors of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation.

According to President Buhari, the appointment of the nominees was done “in compliance with the provision of section 5(2)(4) of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation Act” to fill existing vacancies.

The Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, moved a motion relying on order 1(b) of the senate standing rules for the upper chamber to expedite action on the President’s request for the confirmation of the NDIC nominees.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan in his ruling, underscored the need for the upper chamber to “fast-track the process” to enable committees to screen the nominees.

Senator Lawan, thereafter, referred the confirmation request of the NDIC nominees to the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance, and Financial Institutions.

The Committee which was given two weeks to report back to the upper chamber is chaired by Senator Uba Sani.

PUNCH