Some Ambassadorial Nominees Belong In Prison

Tinubu.

Former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Joe Keshi, has criticised the ambassadorial list forwarded to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu for approval.

He also challenged the integrity of some nominees who, he argued, should never be considered for diplomatic roles “by any standard.”

It will be recalled that President Tinubu unveiled a list of 32 individuals nominated to serve as ambassadors to Nigeria’s foreign missions last Saturday.

The list featured former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu; former governors of Enugu and Abia States, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu; former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode; and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri.

The President had earlier forwarded the names of Oke, Amin Dalhatu, and Colonel Lateef Are, Retired, to the Senate for screening.

However, Keshi, who appeared in an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief programme yesterday, stated: “I’m comfortable with some names on the list, but the truth of the matter is that the bulk of the people on the non-career list is a bit disturbing. Are these the kind of people we want to represent Nigeria?

“You have people who, if justice had prevailed and if this country had been run properly, and the rules and the rules of the game are obeyed, actually should be cooling their heels in the walls of the prison and not being sent out as ambassadors.

“You have people who have governed their states. They were absolute failures. They showed no leadership when they led their states, and the governors who took over from them are struggling to repair the damage they’ve done to their states.

“Those are the kind of people being rewarded, either because they have helped you to destroy other political parties, and the rest of it.’’

Keshi nevertheless stated that he believed there was a plot against a former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ayo Oke, which resulted in his removal as the agency’s director.

He added that senior officers in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were deeply upset about being left out of the ambassadorial list.

Keshi, who emphasised that Nigeria must deploy its best professionals as ambassadors, stated: Look, as far back as the 1960s, when the diplomatic service was established, those who established the diplomatic service, particularly the prime minister, were very clear in their mind about the kind of diplomatic service they wanted for Nigeria.

“He [the prime Minister] wanted a very competent foreign service. He wanted an independent foreign service. He wanted officers of the foreign service to be well trained, to be able to compete favourably with their peers all over the world.

“The first generation of those recruited into the foreign service, and for a long time, met the criteria until the politicians came and started what they are doing today.’’

Keshi urged President Tinubu to include ministry officials in his next batch of nominees, saying “the second point I made was to appeal to the President. I hear there’s another list to come out; I don’t know if it’s true.

‘I beg the President, for goodness’ sake, for the sake of the officers and the ministry of foreign affairs today, to please ensure that the next list contains no other names but the people from the ministry of foreign affairs.

“These officers are demoralised. Look, tomorrow somebody will accuse them of being unpatriotic, but the truth of the matter is that they are disappointed after being prepared.

“They’ve gone through training, preparing themselves, and where they are supposed to be appointed, you’re now saying they are not qualified to represent the country.

“You have a set that has retired. All these officers, as Nigerians today, are very bitter, and they think that Nigeria has done it to them.’’