Jonathan Posts New Ambassadors

[TGD]

 Maduekwe Goes To Moscow, As Ogwu Retains UN Posting

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has started assigning freshly-screened Ambassadors to foreign duty posts, and former Foreign Affairs Minister, Ojo Maduekwe, will be posted to Moscow, according to government sources.

Although Maduekwe had preferred to be posted to the United Nations as Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the global body, the current holder of the office, Prof Joy Ogwu, is said to be holding down the position until further notice.

It was gathered that Maduekwe requested to be posted to the United Nations on the grounds that most former Foreign Affairs Minister, who become Ambassadors, were posted to the UN, which, unlike the other diplomatic missions abroad, is a multilateral agency, where the country meets almost the whole diplomatic world.

Two former Foreign Affairs Minister, who ended up as Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the UN in recent times, included Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and the current holder, Prof Ogwu.

Indeed, sources said Maduekwe's argument is correct except that President Jonathan and the Foreign Affairs Minister both agree to keep Maduekwe away from the exalted New York posting because of his controversial stance in the past.

Maduekwe's name had earlier been pencilled down for Canada, but Moscow was considered a better fit since Russia is among the top three diplomatic missions of Nigeria abroad, besides New York; the other two being London, and Washington DC

During the week, the Senate cleared about 83 of the 88 nominated Ambassadors, including Maduekwe, after the appropriate Committee had screened them and recommended their clearance much earlier.

Foreign Affairs Ministry sources indicated that the Minister and the President would now begin to seek agreement formalities with the countries that the new envoys are to be sent. Before an Ambassador can be deployed, an agrément has to be exchanged and endorsed with the host country.

According to diplomatic sources, "diplomatic courtesy requires that before a state appoints a new chief of diplomatic mission to represent it in another state, it must be first ascertained whether the proposed appointee is acceptable to the receiving state. The acquiescence of the receiving state is signified by its granting of agrément to the appointment. It is unusual for an agrément to be refused, but it occasionally happens."



The Guardian