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President Bola Tinubu’s failure to appoint new ambassadors over a year after the recall of former diplomats has been condemned by foreign policy analysts and former diplomats.
According to them, the development might affect Nigeria’s relationship with other countries.
They argue that the chargé d’affaires currently managing these missions do not have the authority and status to engage effectively with foreign ministers of their host nations, as dictated by diplomatic norms.
Experts point out that, being at the director level within the civil service, the chargé d’affaires do not have the standing required to represent Nigeria at the highest levels in their host countries and in international discussions.
Naija News recalls that since the September 2, 2023 recall, Nigeria’s 109 diplomatic missions, including 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and one consulate, have been lacking full ambassadorial representation.
Speaking on the development in a recent interview, Ambassador Suleiman Dahiru, a retired diplomat, remarked that the president should have swiftly appointed new ambassadors following the recall of the previous ones.
He said, “In fact, before recalling ambassadors, you would have recommended those who will take over from them, and they are the ones to ask for agreement on behalf of those new ambassadors coming, but this has not happened. There are career officers who have been overdue for ambassadorial appointments but they have not been appointed,d and time is running out against them.
“By the time they make the appointments, you will find out that some of these diplomats, who could have been appointed ambassadors, can no longer be appointed because they have few months to retire. The career officers are now the ones suffering.”
“The politicians can do whatever they want to, but for God’s sake, they should not tamper with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you don’t accord the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the right recognition, those outside will not take us seriously and this is exactly what is happening,” Dahiru told Daily Trust.
Another former diplomat who spoke to the media on condition of anonymity argued that the delay in appointing ambassadors could affect the relationship between Nigeria and some countries as they might not be open to dealing with lower cadre officers.
He said: “A chargé d’affaire may not be allowed to have meetings with a foreign minister of the host country because his position is just equivalent to that of a director. So, he may have limitations in handling serious issues, which require higher authority from his host country.”
Since the beginning of his administration, President Tinubu has travelled to numerous countries and welcomed delegations of foreign investors, all of whom have shown a keen interest in supporting Nigeria’s development efforts.
A significant number of agreements have been established across different sectors.
Nevertheless, Ambassador Dahiru, who has held positions in Brazil, Angola, Poland, Ivory Coast, Vienna, Austria, Sudan, Pakistan, and Sudan, emphasized that Nigerians would not benefit from these agreements unless there is effective oversight from leadership to ensure their implementation.
He said: “The president and the vice president have been travelling around the world looking for foreign investment. If you go out looking for foreign investment and you don’t have ambassadors in those countries, who will pursue what you have already negotiated?”
A former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Joe Keshi, considering how long the nomination and the screening of ambassadors in Nigeria as well as their clearance by designated host countries, usually take, it may not be easy to have them in place soon.
He stated: “You don’t just call somebody and say, ‘you go to America’. When you agree on the person you want to send, you have to send his papers and every other thing to the country, and until they accept, you don’t announce…This could take six months or even a year in some cases.’’
Presidency Keeps Mum On Replacement Of Envoys
When contacted on why President Tinubu has yet to appoint new ambassadors after over thirteen months, Alkasim Abdulkadir, the spokesman for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, asked journalists to contact the Presidency directly.
However, when approached, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, replied to Daily Trust via text message, saying: “Pls, ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs.”
Appointment Of New Ambassadors A Natural Process – Alkasim
Meanwhile, Abdulkadir had said in February that the appointment of new envoys is a natural process, stressing that there was no cause for alarm as the government was working on making new appointments.
“Their replacements are being worked on by President Tinubu. Very soon new ambassadors would be announced,”
Abdulkadir explained that there was no delay in the appointment process of new ambassadors, adding, “It is a natural process.
“The task of selecting those who will represent Nigeria is not something that can be done in a day. You have to look at the track record of these people; you have to look at their loyalty and relationship to the government of Nigeria; you have to do security checks; you have to do background checks up to their primary schools because these people will be representing Nigeria.”
Abdulkadir had rejected the claim that activities had been on hold in Nigerian missions worldwide due to the delay in the appointment of new ambassadors.
He said, “Some officers have continued their work because they are staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the last month, I have gone to about four missions, and things are going on. The work is going on.
“I just came back from Saudi Arabia; the staff of the mission handled all the meetings that the minister had; the acting ambassador and the consul-general.
“The chargé d’affaires have taken on the work of the ambassadors very well. There are no lapses anywhere.”
While assuring that the relationship between Nigeria and host governments was intact despite not having ambassadors in place in the foreign missions, he said, “That is why we have a mission or an embassy in the country. There are people who are working in those embassies. Like I told you, everything is going on fine.”
Funding Issue
In May 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, indicated that a lack of financial resources was the reason behind the postponement of ambassadorial appointments for Nigeria.
He emphasized that the administration of President Tinubu is grappling with considerable financial and economic difficulties, which have hindered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from obtaining the essential funding required for its operations.
The minister further remarked that appointing ambassadors would be futile without the adequate financial backing necessary for their travel and the efficient management of diplomatic missions overseas.
“We met a situation where Foreign Affairs was not being funded the way it should be. It is a money problem. There is no point in sending out ambassadors if you do not have the funds for them to even travel to their designated country and to run the missions effectively. One needs funding,” he said.
Despite these hurdles, Tuggar assured the government was addressing the issue.
“Mr President is working on it and it will be done in due course,” he said.
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