The Special Adviser on Public Communication and Orientation to President Bola Tinubu, Sunday Dare, has addressed concerns over the delay in the appointment of Ambassadors.
Naijaonpoint reports that concerns have continued to mount over the absence of envoys in Nigeria’s 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates globally as President Bola Tinubu delays appointments.
In an interview with Premium Times, Dare stated that President Tinubu is deliberate about those who would be appointed to the position because of their key roles.
According to him, Tinubu is concerned about foreign policy and might make the appointment before the end of the year.
He said, “You must appreciate the fact that when you have a mission or an embassy, it is a structure. And what you have at the top is the ambassador, who can be just a political appointee or a career diplomat. But they don’t operate in isolation. They have consul generals.
“They have quite a number of diplomats and foreign affairs staffers who they call ambassadors who do the day-to-day work. So when the ambassadors are removed, the essential work or the core work of diplomacy of a consulate still goes on. It’s just removing one person. So, at no point did that stop for all our embassies.
“I do agree that with an ambassador, you get a more pointed direction and the rest. But let me fast-forward. We’re at a point when that is about to happen. We’re going to see that happen shortly. The president has been deliberate because he understands that the ambassadors will play a key role in his plan to bring FDI into our country.
“They will play a key role in ensuring that Nigeria is plugged into the global economy at the right point. And I’m telling you, he’s been deliberate, making sure that those who will go as ambassadors have the credentials, whether career diplomats or even politicians, and that is why it has taken so much time. That’s what I believe, but we will have ambassadors very soon. I’m sure that is going to happen before the end of the year.”