..Senate receives list of 47 nominees
President Muhammadu Buhari has sent the list of 47 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, one year after his swearing-in as President that surprisingly excluded politicians but comprising mainly of career civil servants.
In a letter addressed to Senate president, Bukola Saraki, which he personally read on the floor during Thursday plenary, Buhari asked the legislative body to approve the list as soon as possible.
The letter, which is in line with Section 171 (1) (c) subsection 4 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)and dated June 6, was received on June 9, 2016, from the Office of the Senate president.
Expectations were high in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) when, in 2015, the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, assured of over 6,000 appointments in the present administration.
The ambassadorial nominees include: Obinna Chukwuemeka Agbugba (Abia); Salisu Umaru (Adamawa); Inyan Udo-Inyang (Akwa Ibom); Okeke Vivian Nwunaku (Anambra); Liman Munir (Bauchi); Ndem Jane Ada (Benue); Mohammed Hassan Hassan (Borno); Martin Nyong Cobham (Cross River); Janet Omoleegho Olisa (Delta); Itegboje S. Sunday (Edo); and Olatunde Adesesan (Ekiti).
Others Lilian Ijeukwu Onoh (Enugu); Manaja Tula Isah (Gombe); Ngozi Ukaeje (Imo); Bello Kazaure Huessini (Jigawa); Enoch Pear Duchi (Kaduna); Garba Baba (Kano); Usman Bakori Aliyu (Katsina); Umar Zainab Salisu (Kebbi); Momoh Sheidu Omeiza (Kogi); Kadiri Ayinla Audu (Kwara); Balogun Hakeem (Lagos); Inusa Ahmed (Nasarawa); Ibrahim Isah (Niger), and Bankole Adegboyega Adeoye (Ogun).
Also on the list are Ibidapo-Obe Oluwasegun (Osun); Ogundero Sakirat (Oyo); Eric A. Bell-Gam (Rivers); Attahiru Halliru (Sokoto); Rahmatu A. Dunama (Taraba); Musa Saban Mamman (Yobe); Kabiru Bala (Zamfara); Adamu Onoze Shuaibu (FCT); Demenongu A. Agev (Benue); Toko Ali Gongulong (Borno); Ibrahim Hamza (Katsina); Kenneth C. Nwachukwu (Imo), and Queen I. Worlu (Edo).
Emmanuel Kayode Oguntause (Ekiti); Paragalda Ilyasu Audu (Adamawa); Lawan Abba Gashagar (Borno); Olufemi Abikoye (Kwara); Habu Abubakar Gwani Ibrahim (Gombe); Rabiu Akawu (Kano); Nonye Udo (Anambra); 46. Odeka Janet Bisong (Cross River), and Sonaike Adekunbi Abibat (Ogun) were also included on the list.
The Senate is yet to decide on the date for the screening of the nominees.