Ambassadors-designate: Senate Confirms Buratai, Other Ex-Service Chiefs

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday confirmed the immediate past Service Chiefs as non-career Ambassadors-designate.

Among those confirmed by the upper legislative Chamber are former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai; former Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; and former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas.

Others include immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar and former Chief of Defence Intelligence, Air Vice-Marshall Muhammad Usman.

Their confirmation followed Senate’s consideration of the report submitted by its Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Senator Adamu Mohammad Bulkachuwa.

However, before their final endorsement by the Red Chamber, Senate Minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe had requested the Committee Chairman to provide information on petitions against the nominees which touched on the Senate’s integrity.

In his intervention, Senator Abaribe said; “I had thought that the committee would have given us a little inkling on the petition and the reason why it was dismissed because that first petition borders in the integrity of the Senate.

“What that petition clearly states is, that this Senate took a resolution that these men should be removed as heads of the security apparatus in Nigeria, not just once but three times we took that decision here.”

Though Bulkachuwa admitted receiving a petition against the nominees, the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, overruled Abaribe who argued that it would be double standard for Senate to confirm the same officers the Senators have at various occasions demanded their resignation over distressing insecurity in the country.

According to the Senate President, ambassadorial positions are distinct from military chiefs’ assignment that deals strictly with the nation’s security, adding; “If they have been nominated for something else, I think Our resolution asking for their removal as service chiefs does not cross over to that nomination.”

Senator Lawan further suggested to the Executive arm that the former service chiefs should be assigned on duty tours to neighbouring states with similar experience of terrorism.

“My feeling is, let us advise the executive to use the experiences of these retired services or nominees if they are eventually confirmed as ambassadors to be posted to countries where they can add value to this country.

“Especially, countries that surround us, where we use to fight Boko Haram insurgency and banditry because of their experiences in the field, they should be able to interact sufficiently and advice and create the atmosphere together for partnership and cooperation between Nigeria and this country”, the President of the Senate said.

On February 5, 2021, the President had sent the ex-Service Chiefs’ names to the national Assembly for confirmation as non-career ambassadors

In related development, President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday urged the Senate to consider and confirm Haliru Nababa for appointment as the Controller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS).

Senate President Ahmad Lawan read Buhari’s letter of request on the floor at plenary.