President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, March 31, 2017 approved the immediate deployment of four out of the newly appointed ambassadors-designate.
A statement issued by a presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina revealed that the four ambassadors have been assigned to represent Nigeria at the United Nations and the African Union.
Prof. Tijjani Bande from Kebbi State would proceed as Nigeria’s ambassador/representative to the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Also, Itegboje Samson from Edo State would proceed as Nigeria’s ambassador/deputy representative, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The statement revealed that Kadiri Audu from Kwara State would proceed as Nigeria’s ambassador/representative to the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Offices in Geneva.
And finally, Bankole Adeoye from Ogun State would proceed as Nigeria’s ambassador/representative to the Embassy of Nigeria/Permanent Mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa.
President Buhari has been criticised for this sluggish approach to appointing key officials to his government. After taking the reigns of power in May 2015, it took him 6-months to name a cabinet. When the press in France asked him about it, he dismissed ministers as “noisemakers” who do nothing.
The downturn in Nigeria’s economy since he come to office has been blamed on his decisions to keep vital positions vacant while he held sway as a sole administrator.