We have posted 95 envoys, says Fed Govt

By Bola Olajuwon and Vincent Ikuomola, AbujaThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the posting of ambassador-designates to Nigerian Missions abroad.The posting was announced in a statement by the ministrys Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda.The ministry did not, however, include the names and places of posting of the 43 career ambassadors and 52 non-career ambassadors in the statement.According to Aduda, induction programme for the ambassador-designates and their spouses will take place at a date to be announced.The announcement came on the heels of a report by The Nation on Sunday, which said five months after the Senate screening and clearance, the ambassador-designates were yet to be posted.The Nation report also said there was no communication from the Presidency or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the matter.The ministrys statement reads: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, has approved the posting of ambassador-designates to Nigerian Missions abroad. The list includes 43 career ambassadors and 52 non-career ambassadors.Read Also: 83 new ambassadors stranded five months after SenateconfirmationWith this development, the process of requesting agreement from the prospective host countries have commenced.The ministry also wishes to inform that there will be an induction course for the Ambassador-designates and their spouses, which will hold on a date to be announced shortly, to prepare and facilitate the movement of the envoys to their respective missions.On why the ministry did not release the names and postings of the envoys as approved by the Presidency, the ministrys spokesman Ferdinand Nwonye said confirmation of agreemo from the prospective host countries is key in posting of envoys.Agreemo is a memorandum from one nation to another agreeing to the appointment of an ambassador or envoy.Nwonye noted that agreemo in diplomatic courtesy requires that before a state appoints a new envoy to represent it in another state, it must be first ascertained whether the proposed appointee is acceptable to the receiving state.According to him, the acceptance of the receiving host state is signified by its granting its agrment to the appointment.While awaiting the necessary confirmation, he told The Nation that the induction course for the ambassador-designates and their spouses will hold on a date to be announced soon.
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