- As FCT Senator Demands Abuja Nominee for Non-Ambassadorial Position
From Segun Amure, Abuja (The New Diplomat’s Abuja Bureau)
The Nigerian Senate at its Wednesday’s session forwarded the names of President Muhammadu Buhari’s newly appointed service chiefs to the joint committee on Army, Navy and Air force for confirmation.
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, stated that the committee would be given two weeks to carry out their assignments and report back to Senate’s plenary.
The recently appointed service chiefs awaiting Senate confirmation are Maj. Gen. Lucky Eluonye Onyenuchea lrabor – Chief of Defence Staff; Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru – Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo – Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka O. Amao – Chief of Air Staff.
In a related development, the Senator representing FCT, Philip Aduda on Wednesday bemoaned the constant neglect of FCT indigenes in the appointments of non-career ambassadors.
At the Wednesday’s plenary, Senator Aduda protested the continuous exclusion of indigenes of the FCT from the appointment as non-career diplomats by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Aduda said, “Your Excellency, I’ve consistently mentioned that before now we used to have a non-career ambassador for the FCT.
He added: “But when the first list came, the FCT was omitted. The second list came, the FCT was omitted; and then we have another opportunity where the FCT is supposed to be represented but it has still been omitted.
“Your Excellency, this gives us worry in the FCT, because it is showing that maybe it is Federal Character, or something is wrong somewhere.
“Mr. President, we know that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has the power to hire and fire, but Mr. President, we urge you as our leader and Speaker of the people of the FCT, and indeed, the President, who incidentally by the Constitution – Section 299 – happens to be the Governor of the FCT, that in making nominations, he should look at us and please grant us our heart desire which is to have a non-career ambassador for the FCT.
“Indeed, the opportunity has come again, when some ambassadorial nominees have been submitted, and the Committee will be doing its work very soon.
“We want to crave the indulgence of this Senate, and it is a constitutional matter. Mr. President, my Distinguished Colleagues, here I come again today with the hope that we will get support from our State House of Assembly, which is the National Assembly, and indeed the Senate with you as Chairman, to intervene in this matter and ensure that the people of the FCT have a non-career ambassador.”
Responding in support of Senator Aduda’s request, the President of the Senate said: “As speaker of the FCT House of Assembly and as members of the FCT House of Assembly, we are appealing to the Executive to send the nomination of a non-career ambassadorial nominee for the FCT in the fifth and final phase.”
