The North-South Progressive Alliance (NOSPA), has stated that the appointment of Nigeria’s ambassadors is a prerogative of the President and will be made at the appropriate time, when the resources and manpower are available and aligned with the vision and strategy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The group stated this in response to the statement by Nigeria’s coalition party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appoint ambassadors immediately, claiming that junior diplomats could not represent Nigeria.
The group, in its statement signed by its Convener, Alwan Hassan, berated the ADC for offering unsolicited opinions on a matter it did not have the correct facts about. It stated that the President was not in a hurry to appoint ambassadors and had access to information that informed his decisions.
“The decision by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to hold back on the appointment of ambassadors is made with a conscious understanding of the facts on the ground available to the President. There must be the necessary resources before such a decision is taken. Whether it is capital resources or manpower resources, the President will take the right decision at the right time.
“President Tinubu cannot desecrate the sacred altar of diplomacy with the politics of appointments. He is not in a hurry to please politicians, but is taking his time to arrive at the right decision at the right time.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the spirit of attempting to play an opposition party, has muddled matters of serious governance with politics. They do not have any of the facts available to the President. They should keep diplomacy away from their politics,” the statement said.
The North-South Progressive Alliance further explained that in between the appointment of Ambassadors, Charge d’Affaires in that interim continue to conduct essential inter-country engagements and represent the country’s interests.
“It is highly erroneous for Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi of the ADC to make the assumption that it is ‘junior diplomats’ representing Nigeria at our foreign missions. We have very senior diplomats, who are seasoned and highly experienced career officers, are appointed as Charge d’Affaires who carry on the conduct of essential inter-country engagements.
“They maintain continuity of operations by handling the daily affairs of the foreign missions. They protect the country’s and our citizens’ interests and maintain communication with the host government. There are no gaps.
“These seasoned professionals have the skills to negotiate and manage whatever crisis may arise while representing Nigeria’s interests,” the NOSPA said.
It went further to debunk the claim by the ADC linking the visa challenges Nigeria is facing with the United States of America and the UAE to the absence of ambassadors, stating that the issues had nothing to do with this.
It explained that several countries across the world are being denied visas and facing similar challenges with these countries despite having ambassadors.
“Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Ethiopia, among many others, all have ambassadors to both the United States and the UAE, yet are facing extreme visa conditions with the United States and the UAE. Bolaji Abdullahi does not understand foreign affairs and is speaking in a field in which he is highly ignorant of its workings.
“Nigeria’s case, in fact, is a peculiar one and will be resolved soon. The two governments are engaging, and we believe that there will be a positive outcome soon.”
The North-South Progressive Alliance further stated that Nigeria, even without ambassadors, has been engaging with other countries, with evidence of positive results, including bilateral agreements in trade and commerce, particularly with the UAE.
It stated that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is made up of “hurting politicians” and “neophytes in government affairs,” hence their “ignorant and embarrassing statement that confuses serious government matters with childish opposition theatrics.”