Fact emerged why Ondo, Ebonyi, Bayelsa and Plateau states were excluded from career ambassadorial nominees even as the Senate on Wednesday resolved to begin consideration and screening of 47 ambassadorial nominees.
According the findings by the Senate Committee on Foreign affairs, none of the officers from the affected states meet up with criteria for selection.
Presenting the report, vice Chairman of the committee, Shehu Sani, said that from the committee’s investigation, due process was followed in appointing the nominees.
He said the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, informed the committee that states without nominees had no qualified persons for appointment as career ambassadors based on set guidelines.
He said most senior officers from the states affected either did not meet the required minimum of 30 months to their retirement or fell short of other criteria.
However, the lawmaker said Mr. Lawal gave the assurance that Mr. Buhari would address the seeming lop-sidedness with the appointment of non-career ambassadors.
The committee recommended that the Senate proceed with the screening, while urging the federal government to quickly submit the list of non-career ambassadors.
The report states, “Bayelsa: from the presentations, the candidate from Bayelsa did not meet with all the laid down criteria for selection.
“Benue: the complainant from Benue, a male Foreign Service Officer, with two years two months (26 months) remaining period of service was dropped on gender consideration for the next most senior officer , a female, who has two years five months ( 29 months) remaining period of service.
“Kogi: from the records, one of the two senior officers with the same service records, except for the slight difference in the remaining period of service, on the part of the one not selected (who is leaving 15 days earlier) before retirement, was dropped in favour of the one selected for nomination.
“Ondo: none of the three senior officers from the state satisfy all the criteria for selection.
“Osun: the officer nominated complied with the set down criteria for selection, while the most senior officer with only 12 months remaining period of service before retirement, was dropped for lack of adequate period of service.
Plateau: none of the officers satisfy all the criteria for selection.
“Taraba: the Officer selected for nomination has satisfied the set down criteria for nomination and she is the most senior Officer from the State.”
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