*As Abia, Ekiti, Niger looses out
By Ignatius Okorocha
Two journalists -the outgoing Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian newspaper, Debo Adesina representing Oyo State, and former Politics Editor of ThisDay newspaper, Oma Djebah from Delta State, were among the 41 nominees presented to the Senate for confirmation by President Muhammadu Buhari as non-career ambassadors.
This is even as Abia, Ekiti and Niger States have no representatives on the presidential list which gave Kano, Kwara and Oyo States lion shares of three slots each while each of Benue and Borno State have two respectively.
President Buhari had in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and read on the floor of the upper legislative chamber, on Wednesday in Abuja, also nominated six women as envoys.
Other nominees are Engr. Umar Suleiman and L. S. Mandama from Adamawa State, Oboro Effiong Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Elijah Onyeagba -Anambra, Abubakar D. I. Siyi (Bauchi), Phillip K. Ikurusi -(Bayelsa), Tarzoor Terhemen and Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue), Al-Bashir Ibrahim All-Hassan and Brig. Gen. Bwala Yusuf Bukar (Borno), Prof. Monique Ekpong (Cross River), Ominyi N. Eze (Ebonyi) and Yamah Mohammed Musa from Edo State.
The rest include Major General C. O. Ugwu representing Enugu, Dr. Hajara I. Salim (Gombe), Obieze Ijeoma Chinyerem (Imo), Ali M. Magashi -Jigawa, Prof. M. A. Makarfi -Kaduna, Hamisu Umar Takalmawa, Jazuli Imam Galadanci and Mrs. Amina Ado Kurawa from Kano State, Amb. Yahaya Lawal (Katsina), Dare Sunday Awoniyi (Kogi), Ibrahim Kayode Laaro, Abioye Bello and Mrs. Zara Maazu Umar from Kwara State, respectively.
Also on the list are Demola Seriki representing Lagos, Henry John Omaku -Nasarawa, Chief Sarafa Tunji Ishola (Ogun), Mrs. Nimi Akinkugbe -Ondo, Adebara Bello (Osun), Adesina Alege and Ms. Folakemi Akinyele (Oyo), Shehu Abdullahi Yibaikwai (Plateau), Hon. Maureen Tamuno (Rivers), Faruk Yabo (Sokoto), Adamu M. Hassan (Taraba), Alhaji Yusuf Mohammed (Yobe) and Abubakar Moriki from Zamfara State.
The letter, dated June 28, stated that “in accordance to section 171 (1).(2)(c) and sub-section (4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate the under-listed forty-one (41) names of nominees as Non-Career Ambassadors-designate.”
President Buhari equally sought accelerated consideration of the nominees.
“It is my hope that the distinguished senate will consider and confirm the nominees in the usual expeditious manner,” he stated.
Similarly, the President, in a separate letter, sought the approval of Suleiman Sani from the Federal Capital Territory, FCT as a career ambassador.
The letter reads: “In accordance to in accordance to section 171 (1).(2)(c) and sub-section (4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate the appointment of Suleiman Sani as Ambassador-designate for the FCT.”
In a related development, President Buhari requested the upper chamber to confirm the appointment of Engr. Usman Mahmoud Hassan as Commissioner representing Kaduna State in the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
The President while relying on Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, also sought the confirmation of another nominee, Idahagbon Williams Omoregie Henry, as Commissioner representing Edo, Ekiti and Ondo states in the Federal Civil Service Commission.
