Some ambassadorial nominees should be in prison, says Amb Joe Keshi

Tinubu

Former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Joe Keshi, has faulted the ambassadorial list sent to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu for confirmation He also questioned the character of some of the nominees who, he claimed, should have no business being in the diplomatic service “by any standard.” Recall that President Tinubu had last Saturday, released a list of 32 persons nominated to serve as ambassadors in Nigeria’s foreign missions.

They included former chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu; former governors of Enugu and Abia states, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu; former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, and ex-presidential aide, Reno Omokri.

The President had also earlier sent the names of Oke, Amin Dalhatu, and Colonel Lateef Are. Retd, to the Senate for confirmation.

But Keshi, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief programme yesterday, said: “I’m comfortable with some names on the list, but the truth of the matter is that the bulk of the people on the non-career list is a bit disturbing. Are these the kind of people we want to represent Nigeria?

“You have people who, if justice had prevailed and if this country had been run properly, and the rules and the rules of the game are obeyed, actually should be cooling their heels in the walls of the prison and not being sent out as ambassadors.

“You have people who have governed their states. They were absolute failures. They showed no leadership when they led their states, and the governors who took over from them are struggling to repair the damage they’ve done to their states.

“Those are the kind of people being rewarded, either because they have helped you to destroy other political parties, and the rest of it.’’ Vanguard