Buhari gives portfolios to new ambassadors

President Muhammadu Buhari has allocated portfolios to the 52 non-career and 43 career ambassadors screened last year by the Senate.

A breakdown of the postings released yesterday, January 18, 2020, in Abuja indicated that former Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian, Debo Adesina, would serve as the Ambassador to Togo, while another senior journalist and former Commissioner for Information in Delta State, Omah Djebah, has Thailand as his place of assignment.

The Minister of State for Defence, Demola Seriki goes to Spain, ex-Minister of Mines and Steel, Sarafat Ishola, is High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Eleven envoys were re-appointed with eight retaining their places of primary assignment, while the other three were redeployed.

The current Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland, Dr Uzoma Emenike, a career diplomat, was posted to the United States, just as M.I. Bashir serves as his deputy.

The eight that retained their seats include Mohammed Rimi (United Arab Emirates); Jidda Baba (China); Gani Bura (Lebanon); Yusuf Tuggar (Germany); Baba Madugu (Switzerland) and Deborah Illiya (Congo).

Others are Ambassador Tijani Muhammad-Bande (Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York) and Adeyinka (High Commissioner to Canada).
But Modupe Irele, the reigning Ambassador to France, is to be moved to Hungary, as her Hungarian colleague, Eniola Ajayi, leaves for the Netherlands.

For non-career diplomats, Ijeoma Chineyerem is resuming as Ambassador to Ireland; Abdulahi Shehu (Russia); Haruna Manta (South Africa); Kayode Laro (France); Paul Adikwu (The Vatican); Abubakar Moriki (Japan); Mrs Opunimi Akinkugbe (Greece) and Ali Magashi (South Korea).

Others are 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 are 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 United Nations), Ben Okoyen (Cuba); G.M. Okeke (Deputy Head of Mission to Switzerland); S. Sani (Deputy High Commissioner to UK); I.A Iwejuo (Deputy Ambassador to Ethiopia), I.A. Alatishe (Deputy Ambassador to Russia) and I.R. Ocheni (Germany).