President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday forwarded the names of 88 nominees to the Senate for confirmation as ambassadors.
Prominent among them are? Bianca, wife of late Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu,? former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Senator Abdallah Wali and a former Speaker of Adamawa State House of Asembly, Hon. James Shuaib Barka.?
In a letter read on the floor of the Senate yesterday, the President said 32 of the nominees would be appointed as non-career ambassadors while the remaining 56 are career ambassadors. The president’s request is in line with Section 171 (1) (c) sub-section 4 of the 1999 Constitution.
Among the non-career nominees, who are mostly politicians, are Maduekwe (Abia), former deputy governor of Oyo State, Taofik Arapaja and Bianca Ojukwu, whose nomination comes under what the president’s letter calls “Special Category”.
While five states, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Katsina, and Ondo, have two nominees each, 10 states, Bauchi, Delta, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kwara, Ogun, Niger and Rivers, have none.
Also on the career diplomats’ list are Hon.? Barka (Adamawa), Chief Asam Asam (Akwa Ibom), Okwudili Nwosu and Dr. Francis Okeke (Anambra), Mr. Eric Aworabhi (Bayelsa), Mr. Chive Kaave (Benue), Mr. Dauda Danladi (Borno), Mrs. Katherine Okon (Cross River), Hon. Nwofe Alexander and Mr. Mathias Okafor (Ebonyi).
Others are Mrs. Sifawu Ini-Umaru Momoh (Edo), Princess Victoria Onipede (Ekiti), Mrs Fidelia Njeze (Enugu), Senator Haruna Garba (Gombe), Nonye Rajis-Okpara and Chief Eddy Onuoha (Imo), Alhaji Adamu Babangida Ibram and Alhaji Tukur Mani (Katsina), Mr. Biodun Nathaniel Olorunfemi (Kogi), and Engn. Olatokunbo Kamson (Lagos).
The nominees also include Dr. Sam Jimba (Nasarawa), Cornelius Oluwateru and Col. Roland Omowa, rtd. (Ondo), Mr. Akinyemi Farounbi (Osun), Mrs. Matilda Kwashi (Plateau), Senator Wali (Sokoto), Senator Lawan Gana Guba (Yobe), Hon. Abubakar Shehu Bunu (Zamfara) and Mrs. Esther John Audu (FCT).