Ambassador Designate: Senate Confirms 39 As Lawan Overrules Abaribe, Suswam, Others

The confirmation was a sequel to the submission of the report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs by its Chairman, Senator Muhammadu Adamu Bulkachuwa.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter dated June 17, 2020, entitled, “Appointment of Non-career Ambassadors” sought for confirmation of the nominees by the upper legislative chamber.

Senator representing Abia South and Minority Leader, Eyinnaya Abaribe asked Senator Bulkachuwa to explain criteria used in arriving at the nominees as he submitted that while some states have three nominees, some have one.

He said: “I just want the Chairman to enlighten Nigerians, the criteria which the nominations were made in respect of States. Some states have three, some have one. So, on what basis were the nominations made?”

Senator Abaribe was immediately overruled by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, who asked Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to ignore the question.

Addressing, Senator Bulkachuwa, Senator Lawan said: “He doesn’t have to answer that question. Mr Chairman, please, don’t answer that question.”

Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Phillip Aduda, also queried list of nominees as he noted that the Federal Capital Territory, FCT has no nominee.

Senator Gabriel Suswam representing Benue North-East and his counterpart from Taraba central, Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf, equally demanded that confirmation of nominees from their respective states be stepped down.

The former Benue State governor argued that his senatorial district has been deprived of representation while Senator Yusuf claimed that the nominee from Taraba was not known to him.

Another senator from Taraba, Emmanuel Bwacha also demanded that the nominee from Taraba, Adamu Hassan be stepped down.

They were all overruled by President of the Senate who insisted that nomination of ambassadors designate was an Executive function.

He said: “It is an Executive function, what we always say is that when people are nominated they are always advised to liaise with their Senators. So, we want to advise the nominees to meet with their Senators. We can’t sit here and decide, it is an Executive function, it is their prerogative.”

The Senate later confirmed 39 out of the 41 ambassador-designate, leaving out nominees from Yobe state, Alhaji Yusuf Mohammed and his counterpart from Niger state, Air Commodore Ndabake Gana.

Senator Lawan in his closing remarks advised nominees who have been accused of not having a good relationship with their senators to try and correct such negative perception by having fruitful interactions before they were assigned their respective international duty post.

The President of the Senate also advised the Federal Government to cultivate the habit of adequate funding and staffing of foreign embassies.

“I want to commend distinguished senators for a job well done. Niger and Yobe, you go and sort out your issues.

“I want to tell nominees who haven’t interacted with their senators to go and do so. If you haven’t done that, it is very important that before you are posted, you do that and we want to see that that has taken place.”

He urged the government to fund the embassies or consider merging them. “It is very important that we fund the embassies,” he noted.

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