By Anthony Ogbonna

President Muhammadu Buhari has deployed four out of the 45 newly confirmed ambassadors to foreign missions in U.S, Ethiopia and other countries.

In a series of tweets on Friday, President Buhari said the deployment is with immediate effect.

“I have approved the immediate deployment of four of the newly-appointed Ambassadors-Designate, as follows:”

“Professor Tijjani Bande (Kebbi State)—Ambassador/Representative to the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to UN Head Quarters in New York.”

President Muhammadu Buhari

“Itegboje Sunday Samson (Edo State)—Ambassador/Deputy Representative, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to UN Head Quarters in New York.

“Kadiri Ayinla Audu (Kwara State)—Ambassador/Representative to the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to UN Head Quarters Offices in Geneva.”

And ” Bankole A. Adeoye (Ogun State)—Ambassador/Representative to the Embassy of Nigeria/Permanent Mission to African Union in Addis Ababa.”

Recall that the deployment is also coming just hours after the newly confirmed ambassadors concluded their induction training at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa Abuja.

Recall that the Senate, last few weeks, rejected the nomination of two out of 47 non-career ambassadorial nominees presented for  approval by President Muhammadu Buhari in January.

The affected nominees, who were rejected, based on the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs are 82 year old Justice Sylvanus Nsofor from Imo State and Mr. Jacob Igbekele Daodu from Ondo State.

Justice Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor, retired as a Justice of Court of Appeal in March 2005,  after clocking the mandatory retirement age of 70.

He had served as a judge  for 28 years with about 13 years spent in the Court of Appeal.

However, those who were later then approved included: Uzoma Emenike (Abia), Aminu Iyawa (Adamawa), Maj Gen Godwin Umoh Rtd (Akwa Ibom), Christopher Okeke (Anambra), Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi), Baba Madugu (Bauchi), Stanley Diriyai (Bayelsa).

Others are  Stephen Ugba (Benue) Baba Ahmad Jidda (Borno) Etubom Asuquo (Cross River), Frank Efeduma (Delta) Jonah Odo (Ebonyi), and Uyagwe Igbe  from Edo State Eniola Ajayi (Ekiti), Chris Eze (Enugu), Suleiman Hassan (Gombe).

Others include Amin Dalhatu (Jigawa), Ahmed Bamilli and Deborah Iliya (both from Kaduna), Prof D. Abdulkadir(Kano) and Haruna Ungogo  (Kano), Justice Isa Dodo(Katsina) and Mohammadu Rimi Barade (Katsina) and Tijani Bande from Kebbi State.

The other nominees who scaled the Senate hurdle are: Prof Y. Aliu (Kogi) Nurudeen Mohammed and Prof Mohammed Yisa (both from Kwara), Justice George Adesola Oguntade  and Modupe Irele (both from Lagos), Musa Mohammad (Nasarawa), Ahmed Musa Ibeto (Niger), Suzanne Aderonke Folarin (Ogun), Afolahan Adeyemi (Osun), and Maj Gen Ashimiyu  Olaniyi from Oyo State.

James Dmika and Haruna Abdullahi (both from Plateau), Orji Ngofa (Rivers), Sahabi Isa Gada and Kabir Umar (both from Sokoto) Jika Ado (Taraba), Goni Zanna Bura (Yobe), Garba Gajam and Capt Bala Mohammad Mairiga (both from Zamfara) and Habbiss Ibrahim Ugbada from the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, were also approved by the Senate.