Appointing some people as ambassadors not good for Nigeria’s image –Okoye

By Dickson Okafor

Abumchukwu Okoye, a legal practioner and National Coordinator, Take Back Nigeria Initiative (TBNI), has said that with the appointment of Reno Omokri and Femi Fani-Kayode as Ambassadors, Nigeria has lost international respect.

He said every nation appoints their Ambassadors based on certain criteria to improve foreign policy and international diplomacy with the primary motive to engage people who could help in areas of economic and national interests.

Okoye disagreed with those who claimed that the appointment of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as Ambassador is a political reward, but noted that it is a precaution measure taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put away the former INEC Chairman from interferring in the 2027 general election.

Excerpts:

Many Nigerians opposed some persons that were cleared by the Senate as Nigeria’s Ambassadors as they blamed President Bola Tinubu for nominating those they described as people with questionable character and without foreign value to represent the country, what is your reaction? 

It is unfortunate, when political bandits are appointed Ambassadors, when you appoint content creators Ambassadors, when you appoint someone who can open his mouth and said he hates a tribe and political opponents with passion, when you appoint men with double face and merchants of appearance as Ambassadorors, men who believes in stomach infrastructure, you diminish our country. Some appointees have diarrhea of the mouth. Most careers Ambassadors rose through the ranks of their country’s foreign service, requiring them to pass competitive exams and gain experience in junior diplomatic roles. Such persons shall be versatile in languages especially the language of their host countries aside citizenship, education and security clearance. Such persons should have integrity and discretion, have communication skills, skilled in diplomacy and negotiations. An effective Ambassador must be sensitive to and respectful of different cultures, traditions and political beliefs to operate in diverse environments, have leadership and management quality, they should be analytical and strategic thinkers, they should show poise and professionalism. We don’t lack them in our foreign service and ministry of Foreign Affairs. All these political prostitutes and content creators who can open their mouth and abuse any tribe and call a president or another government antichrist has no such quality to be Ambassadors. Even some of the appointees are not qualified to be issued some countries visa.

Some of the appointees may have nuisance value but are not good at all for international diplomacy. A diplomat creates order in the midst of confusion. Not an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth kind of diplomacy.

  Knocks and kudos have also trailed  the appointment of Ex-INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as an Ambassador by President Bola Tinubu, could it be a political reward or based on merit?

If I were Mr. President, I would have done the same thing. I applaud President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the appointment of the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as one of Nigeria’s Ambassadors just to put such dangerous electoral characters away from the 2027 general election. Let him be somewhere and souround him with security over there to make sure he doesn’t influence election again in Nigeria so that in 2027,  Nigeria will have free and fair election. Because if President Tinubu had allowed Mahmood to move freely in Nigeria during 2027 Presidential election, there will be danger, that is why the wisdom of Mr. President is welcomed by me. Such dangerous electoral characters should be removed from the scene.

But many believes it is a political reward by President Tinubu to Prof. Mahmood for helping him win the 2023 Presidential election? 

It is not true, instead it is a precautionary measure by President Tinubu through his wisdom. Tinubu don’t want to allow such character to be floating while next general electionon will be going on. Because there are certain things Prof. Mahmood may influence, certain decisions. A Professor could not explain reasons for computer glitches. That is why Prof. Ibironke said that  when an Angel is found in hell fire, he must explain his presence there. And when Satan is found in Heaven, he must also explain his presence there. So, President Tinubu should post Mahmood to cold region like Austrialia as Nigeria Ambassador, let him stay there while we hold our election, in 2027.

Many are of the view that his appointment has justified the allegation that he rigged the 2023 Presidential election in favour of Tinubu? 

The appointment of Prof. Mahmood does not justify any such insinuation. All I know is that there are circumstances surrounding every electoral officer sometimes known and sometimes unknown. I am referencing Prof. Humphry Nwosu’s issue, the Chairman of the electoral body in 1993 Presidential election believed to have been won by Chief M.K.O. Abiola. So, at this point let Mahmood be removed and kept far from Nigeria whlie the next election is being conducted. I cannot prove that the 2023 Presidential election was rigged or not, but let’s say it was experimentation of some ICT  which Mohmood lacked knowedge of or lack of goodwill that may have tampered with the process then. But all I know is that there was a pre-determined result in the last Presidential election just as it is done in so many other countries. That we are going to support this party or candidate where a certain region weighs heavily. For instance, any region that can influence Kano, Lagos and Rivers states can also influence other regions in any election. So, I  cannot assert that it was a case of rigging that brought President Tinubu into power. So, there are so many factors that contributed to the outcome of the 2023 presidential election. To me, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu should be sent out of Nigeria so that he won’t have hand in the outcome of 2027 Presidential election. Whether they called his Ambassadorial appointment a political reward I am not concerned about that , my concern is that he should not be posted to any country of influence to Nigeria. Because Tinubu can’t send him to the USA or Britain, but I know some European countries he can be posted that does not have much influence on Nigeria and our allies .

Isn’t it late for the government to appoint Ambassadors barely two years to the end of President Tinubu’s first tenure?

It is not late even if the Ambassadors have been appointed earlier government could have withdrawn and replaced them. Every nation appoints their Ambassadors based on certain criteria because the primary motive is to appoint people who could help in areas of economic and national interests and others. These are Nigeria’s major concern in the international community. So, if Tinubu had appointed somebody or those who could not represent Nigeria properly in international diplomacy, he could as well replace them depending on the need of the country.

Again, surprisingly, just few weeks after the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Christopher Musa was removed, he has been appointed the Minister of Defence following the resignation of Mohammed Badaru as Minister of Defence. How do you react to this sudden change by FG?

Alhaji Mohammed Badaru was appointed Minister of Defence, but could not defend us, that is the reason President Tinubu called back Gen Christopher Musa (Retd) to replace him as Minister of Defence. I was one of those who opposed Mohammed Badaru’s appointment as Minister of Defence because he was incompetent and he would not succeed and my prediction came to pass and he failed woefully. I can’t assert positive meaning that he knows what he was doing in that office, so, he shouldn’t have been appointed to head ministry of Defence now that Nigeria is at war with terrorists and bandits. He stayed too long. But I commend President Tinubu for either forcing him to resign or removing him.