NATIONAL: At last, Buhari approves deployment of 52 non-career envoys, 43 career ambassadors

PRESIDENT Buhari has approved the deployment of 52 non-career envoys and 43 career ambassadors almost seven months after their clearance by the Senate

Last week the President approved their postings six months after orientation.

A former Minister of State for Defence, Demola Seriki,  according to Punch, has been deployed to Spain as the a former Minister of Mines and Steel, Sarafat Ishola, will serve as the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Also, the former Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian, Debo Adesina, will serve as the Ambassador to Togo.

 About 11 ambassadors were re-appointed but eight were retained in their current countries of posting while three others were redeployed.

The current Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland, Dr Uzoma Emenike, who is also a career diplomat, was posted to the United States, while M.I. Bashir will serve as deputy ambassador.

According to the list, the eight ambassadors that will remain at their duty posts include:  Mohammed Rimi (United Arab Emirates), Jidda Baba (China), Gani Bura (Lebanon), Yusuf Tuggar (Germany), Baba Madugu (Switzerland) and Deborah Illiya (Congo).

Ambassador Tijani Muhammmad-Bande will also retain his position as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York while Adeyinka Asekun will remain the High Commissioner to Canada.

However, Modupe Irele, who is the current Ambassador to France, will be redeployed to Hungary while Eniola Ajayi, the Ambassador to Hungary is expected to be redeployed to the Netherlands.

For non-career diplomats, Ijeoma Chineyerem will represent the country as Ambassador to Ireland, Oma Djebah will be posted to Thailand, Abdulahi Shehu (Russia), Haruna Manta (South Africa), Kayode Laro (France), Paul Adikwu (The Vatican), Abubakar Moriki (Japan), Opunimi Akinkugbe (Greece) and Ali Magashi (South Korea)

Other postings include M.O. Abam (Italy), N.A. Kolo (Israel), A. Sule (India), G.Y. Hamza (Ghana), A.N. Madubike (Australia) and O.C Onowu (Belgium).

The remaining appointees will be expected to serve as deputy ambassadors or heads of mission. They include A.E. Alleboy (Deputy Ambassador to France), G.E. Edokpa (Deputy Permanent Representative to The UN), Ben Okoyen (Cuba), G.M. Okeke (Deputy Head of Mission to Switzerland),  S.Sani to London, (Deputy High Commissioner to UK), I.A Iwejuo (Ethiopia as Deputy Ambassador), I.A. Alatishe (Deputy Ambassador to Russia) and I.R. Ocheni (Germany).

With this development, the government has ended seventh months of waiting by the nominees and speculations from the public.