From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Federal Government has jettisoned the 70/30 percent ratio for career diplomats and political appointees on the list of ambassadorial nominees currently undergoing screening in the hands of security agencies.
A diplomatic source who lamented the dire consequences of the situation, told Daily Sun that the development portended inadequate representation for the country.
“…And that they have reduced even the number or the percentage for career diplomats which is very sad. They said they reduced the percentage for career diplomats.
“You know the rule says 30 percent political and 70 percent career. But they have been depleting it and from what I am hearing, they are depleting it even further, which is sad.”
Asked what it portended for the country, the Sun source said: “It means that there will be more non-career ambassadors than career.”
In terms of service delivery, the source said it depends, adding that “there are some non-career that can pick up the diplomatic vibe quickly and deliver.”
“But this is just jobs for the boys. The career expectation of career diplomats is just being jettisoned for political interests.”
Former governors of Abia and Enugu states, Okezie Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi respectively, former senator representing Kaduna, Shehu Sani, former Aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri have been listed in the media as part of the nominees undergoing screening.
But a source within the Ministry could not independently confirm the development.
The source, however, admitted that people have been speculating that there were more political nominees than career nominees.
According to the source, the list of the ambassadorial nominees has undergone a lot of changes and will be returned to the President after which he will forward it to the National Assembly for confirmation.
The source said some of the issues in circulation were fake news, except that the nominees were undergoing screening.