The senator representing FCT, Philip Aduda, on Wednesday protested what he termed the exclusion of a non-career ambassador from the Federal Capital Territory.
This came as the Senate received a request from President Muhammadu Buhari for the replacement and confirmation of two non-career ambassadors-designate.
Aduda explained that his protest became imperative because the only FCT indigene presently serving as a non-career ambassador in Sierra Leone, Hafiz Obada, was not re-appointed.
Buhari’s request to replace the non-carreer ambassadors was contained in a letter read during plenary by Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
The president requested to replace the earlier nomination of Oboro Effiong Akpabio and Bwala Yusuf Bukar from Akwa-Ibom and Borno State, respectively.
The letter read: “In accordance to Section 171(1)(2)(c) and subsection (4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of Mr. John J. Usanga and Air Commodore Peter Anda Bakiya Gana (rtd) from Akwa-Ibom and Niger State respectively, as non-career Ambassadors-designate.
“The Senate is kindly requested to recall my earlier submission of Mr. Oboro Effiong Akpabio and Brigadier General Bwala Yusuf Bukar from Akwa-Ibom and Borno State respectively, vide letter dated 17th June 2020, I substitute Mr. Oboro Effiong Akpabio with Mr. John J. Usanga (Akwa-Ibom State). I replace Brigadier General Bwala Yusuf Bukar (Borno State) with Air Commodore Peter Anda Bakiya Gana (Niger State).”
However, Aduda opposed.
“For the ambassadorial nomination for the non-career, nothing has been said about the one for FCT. It has been silent and we have an Ambassador who is already sitting in Sierra Leone, his name is Ambassador Hafiz Obada. We don’t know what becomes of his fate because other states have been told to remain in their stations or they have been re-appointed,” he argued.
In his reaction, Lawan said the protest by the FCT lawmaker is genuine because “it is constitutional for an indigene of the FCT to be appointed as a non-career ambassador by the president”.
