Buhari Sacks Maduekwe, Tafida, Adefuye, Other envoys

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Sunday, July 12th, 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari has recalled all political appointees serving as envoys from their various duty posts across the world.

Those affected are ambassadors appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Prominent among them are a former Foreign Affairs Minister , Chief Ojo Maduekwe (Canada); Chairman of the Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation in the 2011 election, Dr. Dalhatu Tafida (UK);Professor Ade Adefuye (USA);widow of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Bianca (Spain);and former deputy governor of Oyo State, Taofeek Arapaja (Jordan).

The rest include a former aviation minister, Fidelia Njeze (Switzerland);ex-General Manager, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Ibadan, Mr. Yemi Farounbi (Philippines); a one-time governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Olatokunbo Kamson (Jamaica); a PDP front liner in Ondo State, Cornelius Oluwateru (UAE).

Others are Abubakar Shehu Bunu (Saudi Arabia); a former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General in Benue State, Chive Kaave (Argentina); a former financial secretary of the PDP, Tukur Mani (Iran);and former permanent secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA Biodun Nathaniel Olorunfemi (Namibia).

Also on the list are: Chief Asam Asam (SAN), (Russia); Okwudili Nwosu (Burundi); Okeke Chukwuemeka (Vatican); Eric Aworahbi (Italy); Dauda Danladi (Pakistan); and Katherine Okon (Czeck Republic); Nwofe Alexander,; Princess Victoria Bosede Onipede (Republic of Congo); Senator Haruna Garba (Kuwait); Nonye Rajis-Okpara (Singapore); Chief Eddy Onuoha (Hungary); Adamu Babangida Ibrahim (Syria); Dr. Sam Jimba (Poland).

They were among the 93 envoys posted out in June 2012.

Authoritative sources said Saturday night in Abuja that the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had communicated the President’s directive to the affected ambassadors.

They were told to hand over to the highest ranking officer in their various locations.

A Presidency source confirmed that some of the ambassadors including the envoy in Saudi Arabia were already on their way back to the country at press time.

The source said that “the President has issued a directive to the Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Foreign Affairs to recall all the political appointees currently serving as ambassadors in all parts of the world. It doesn’t matter whether they have just few months to the end of their tenure.

“I am sure the envoy in Saudi Arabia is already on his way and quite many others should be reporting to the ministry by Monday. I really don’t have a comprehensive list of the number of people that are affected but they are posted in different continents mostly in key European, Asian and American countries.”

The sack is the biggest since President Buhari assumed office on May 29.

The recall of Ambassadors serving in foreign missions is a routine exercise especially where there is a change of guard at the federal level.