President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of Monica Okechukwu Enebechi as a career ambassador representing Abia State has been met with swift resistance by stakeholders in the state.
This came barely hours after the Presidency, through Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the names of 32 additional nominees (15 career and 17 non-career ambassadors) sent by President Tinubu to the Senate for confirmation.
Enebechi, a serving career officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was listed in the appointments as a career ambassador designate for Abia.
The appointee is currently posted to the Nigerian Embassy in Rome and has previously held the position of “Minister/Economic” at Nigeria’s embassy in Manila, Philippines.
Her professional record is not in dispute, but stakeholders from Abia argue that her state of representation must be corrected for future reference.
An Abia elder statesman who spoke to THE WHISTLER argued that Enebechi’s nomination wrongly attributes her to Abia State.
“Monica Okechukwu Enebechi is from Anambra State, married to an indigene of Enugu State,” he said.
He expressed concern that the appointment could prevent career diplomats from Abia who have spent decades in service from securing ambassadorial positions in the future.
“She (Enebechi) is currently serving in Rome and has been placed on the ambassadorial list representing Abia State, but she is not from Abia. If this stands, it may affect and jeopardise the chances of legitimate Abia career diplomats in getting nominated as ambassadors,” he said.
The list of nominees also includes former state governors, ex-ministers, retired public officials and other political figures among the non-career nominees.
Among the non-career appointees from Abia State are former Governor Victor Okezie Ikpeazu and Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu.
Career ambassadors are those who join public service as foreign service officers and rise through examinations, postings and promotions. They often have years of technical training in diplomacy.
Non-career ambassadors, on the other hand, are appointed from outside the structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sometimes for political balance or to leverage their networks and experience.
President Tinubu, in two letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, requested expedited confirmation of the nominees.
The career list includes four women, while six women are featured among the non-career nominees.
Other non-career nominees are former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, former INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu and former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo.
Others are former Enugu Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, former Katsina Speaker Tasiu Musa Maigari and former Plateau Commissioner Yakubu N. Gambo.
Also nominated are former Senator Nora Ladi Daduut, former Lagos Deputy Governor Femi Pedro, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode and Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu.
The list includes former Oyo First Lady Fatima Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande, and former Senator, Grace Bent.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim and former Vatican Ambassador, Paul Oga Adikwu, also made the list.
Career ambassador-nominees include Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu, Yakubu Nyaku Danladi, Miamuna Ibrahim Besto, Musa Musa Abubakar and Syndoph Paebi Endoni.
Others are Chima Geoffrey Lioma David, Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim, Abimbola Samuel Reuben, Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah and Hamza Mohammed Salau.
Others are Ambassador Shehu Barde, Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno, Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru, Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande.
The nominees are expected to be deployed to missions in China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa and Kenya, amongst others.
Others will be posted to multilateral missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO and the African Union after Senate confirmation.
Tinubu had earlier nominated Ambassador Ayodele Oke (U.S), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (France) and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (UK).