The Senate has clarified that any ambassadorial nominee who was not screened and cleared by the upper chamber cannot be issued a posting letter by the Federal Government.
The clarification followed controversies surrounding the withdrawal of a former governor of Kebbi State, Usman Dakingari, as ambassador-designate to Turkey.
Dakingari’s withdrawal came a few hours after the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced his name as part of the four posted ambassadorial-designates.
In a statement on Thursday evening, Onanuga announced the posting of four ambassadorial-designates, including Dakingari, noting that the appointments were made ‘out of the 68 confirmed by the Senate last December’.
A former Director-General of the Department of State Services, Kayode Are, was appointed Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to the United States.
Also, a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayodele Oke, was posted to France, while Aminu Dalhatu, a former ambassador to South Korea, was named high commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom.
The Presidency withdrew Dakingari’s posting barely 24 hours after the announcement.
The Cable had reported that Dakingari’s name was not on the list of ambassadorial nominees screened and cleared by the Senate.
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The withdrawal raised questions over how a nominee not confirmed by the Senate could be included among those announced.
Speaking in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, said only nominees cleared by the chamber were eligible for posting.
‘I don’t have the full list with me as I’m talking to you, but what I know is that anybody the Senate did not clear will not be given a posting letter’, he said.
Adaramodu noted that the situation could have resulted from an administrative or procedural lapse rather than a deliberate act.
‘There could have been an innocent omission if the Federal Government has actually recalled that ambassadorial posting’, he said.
He added that while ambassadorial postings are the responsibility of the executive, Senate clearance remains a mandatory requirement.
‘I know that only those cleared will be posted by the Federal Government. If the Federal Government actually recalled that ambassador-designate, then it means there should have been some issues that need to be looked into’, he added.
