Former Daily Trust Editor and political analyst, Malam Mahmud Jega, has criticised the growing politicisation of ambassadorial appointments in Nigeria, saying many recent nominees lack the competence and credibility expected of the country’s diplomatic representatives.
In a podcast ‘Conversations with Professor Jideofor Adibe’, Jega lamented that non-career ambassadors now outnumber career diplomats, a trend he said has weakened Nigeria’s diplomatic service.
“In the old days of military rule, non-career ambassadors were few and far between. Most of the country’s ambassadors were career diplomats who were well trained,” he said.
According to him, civilian administrations have increasingly used ambassadorial appointments to reward political loyalists rather than appointing qualified individuals.
He expressed concern over some recent ambassadorial appointments such as Former INEC Chairman, Reno Omokiri and others, describing several appointees as controversial figures whose public records may not inspire confidence internationally.
“I don’t mind if you appoint a non-career ambassador, but let it be people who will command respect,” he said.
Jega also criticised the nomination of individuals facing allegations of financial impropriety and other controversies, arguing that such appointments could damage Nigeria’s image abroad.
“When the list was made public, there was a lot of criticism. You take a man who has many issues of bank default and debt and make him ambassador to the United Nations. It was quite messy,” he said.
Jega maintained that while political appointments are inevitable in a democracy, competence, integrity and national interest should take precedence over political patronage in selecting Nigeria’s diplomatic representatives.
Watch the full podcast here: https://youtu.be/y4q9NY7v5pc?si=W-0viXYUv7hlU-vb
