The Federal Government has concluded the vetting of persons nominated to fill diplomatic roles in its 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates globally, The PUNCH reports.
The PUNCH further reports that the relevant agencies had completed security and background checks on each nominee. However, the President, who is expected to transmit a consolidated list to the National Assembly earlier in the week, has yet to do so.
On April 2, President Bola Tinubu departed Abuja for Paris, France, on a two-week working visit.
“During the visit, the President will appraise his administration’s mid-term performance and assess key milestones,” Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed in a statement.
Onanuga said Tinubu would also use the retreat to “review the progress of ongoing reforms and engage in strategic planning ahead of his administration’s second anniversary.”
Multiple Presidency officials confirmed to our correspondent that with the vetting process over, the nominees were expected to be announced soon. However, no timeline was given for the transmission to the legislature.
“They have finished the DSS checks. That part is done. In fact, we were expecting the names to be out by yesterday or earlier than that. But so far, it looks like he (President Tinubu) still needs a little more time. Our eyes were up for this week. But it is confirmed that the background checks are over,” one official revealed, preferring to remain anonymous as he was not authorised to speak to the press.
Another source stated, “The names were supposed to be out earlier than yesterday (Wednesday). We’re not sure where the delay is coming from.”
Since September 2023, President Tinubu’s 4Ds—Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora—Foreign Policy has operated without envoys.
That month, the President concluded a sector-wide reassessment of Nigeria’s foreign policy, which saw over 83 career and non-career ambassadors recalled from their stations.
Last December, reliable sources close to the President confirmed that Tinubu spent part of the Yuletide holidays reviewing the names of nominees with plans to transmit a consolidated list to the National Assembly before the end of the month. In January, however, sources told our correspondent that the President changed his mind.
