The Senate on Wednesday resolved to begin consideration and screening of
47 ambassadorial nominees sent by President Muhammadu Buhari for
approval.
This followed the adoption of the recommendations of
the Committee on Foreign Affairs mandated to investigate the 37
petitions forwarded to the Senate on alleged lop-sidedness in the
nomination.
The Chairman of the committee, Shehu Sani, said that
from the committee’s investigation, due process was followed in
appointing the nominees.
He said the Secretary to the Government
of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, informed the committee that states
without nominees had no qualified persons for appointment as career
ambassadors based on set guidelines.
He said most senior officers
from the states affected either did not meet the required minimum of 30
months to their retirement or fell short of other criteria.
However,
the lawmaker said Mr. Lawal gave the assurance that Mr. Buhari would
address the seeming lop-sidedness with the appointment of non-career
ambassadors.
The committee recommended that the Senate proceed
with the screening, while urging the federal government to quickly
submit the list of non-career ambassadors.
It also urged the
federal government to sustain the tradition of submitting the list of
non-career ambassadors alongside that of career ambassadors.
The
Senate, thereafter, adopted the recommendations of the committee through
a voice vote and resolved to commence screening of the nominees as soon
as possible.
Mr. Buhari had sent the list of 47 career ambassadors to the senate for approval on June 9.
However,
petitions trailed the nominations over alleged disregard for federal
character principle and non-representation of states like Bayelsa,
Benue, Kogi, Ondo, Plateau and Taraba among others.