The lawmaker representing Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency of Sokoto State, Abdussamad Dasuki, has urged President Bola Tinubu to include experienced retired military officers in the next batch of ambassadorial nominees.

Speaking via a statement, Dasuki asserted that Nigeria has sufficient military officers who have undergone extensive strategic and tactical training, participated in high-level operations, and acquired invaluable battlefield experience throughout their careers.

He argued that retired officers would be useful as ambassadors, particularly in nations with which the country would be engaging for military support and the procurement of arms and armaments essential for the ongoing fight against terrorism, insurgency, and banditry.

“Our retired senior military personnel have served this nation with distinction. Their firsthand understanding of modern warfare, counterterrorism strategies and defence procurement puts them in a unique position to advance our national interests abroad.

“Deploying them as envoys to strategic countries will not only strengthen negotiations for essential military hardware but also ensure that the government receives informed, experience-based strategic advice at a time when the military needs modern reconnaissance drones and armed UAVs to combat all forms of armed conflicts that have become existential threats to the country,” he said.

While acknowledging that the appointment of ambassadors is exclusively the constitutional prerogative of the President, Rep Dasuki stressed that the current realities demand a more security-focused approach to foreign representation, particularly in strategic countries.

“Insecurity has remained the most pressing challenge confronting our nation for over two decades. In recent times, the situation has worsened, with unacceptable levels of killings, kidnappings, and violent attacks across many parts of the country. These extraordinary times require extraordinary strategic alignment, including in our foreign policy direction and the calibre of individuals deployed to advance it,” he stated.

Dasuki further noted that a nation’s strategic needs must be reflected in its foreign policy, especially in the selection of envoys to countries where military and security cooperation is a priority.

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