President Bola Tinubu has been cautioned not to designate his friends as ambassadors by Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, a former director-general of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).
In response to a revelation that certain governors, the president’s allies, former military leaders, and unsuccessful gubernatorial candidates had submitted loyalist names for ambassadorial postings, Akinterinwa reacted.
In an interview with The Punch on Friday, Akinterinwa stated that the President ought not to utilise such significant roles as a means of rewarding or compensating his political allies who assisted him in winning the 2023 race.
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He said that rather than designating political ambassadors, the President should think about designating academic ambassadors who are experts in managing the foreign policy of the nations they will represent.
Because they lack diplomatic agent training, Akinterinwa claimed that the majority of political ambassadors typically prioritise their personal interests over that of the country.
He said, “Political ambassadors are not interested in any national interest to protect abroad. The moment they are appointed, they look out for how to survive even after the tenure of the President who appoints them.
“Nigerian politicians do not place priority on the protection of national interests. If President Tinubu is not careful with the appointments and decides to reward his political cronies and friends, Nigeria will certainly be in trouble very shortly.
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“If we are suggesting academic diplomats, I agree with that; there are many academic diplomats in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There can be a focus on the specialisation of those who have served in some countries if they meet the level of Grade Level 16 or 17; those are the people they should be looking out for.
“Political ambassadors need diplomatic training to be able to perform diplomatic functions enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention. Most unfortunately, it is the political ambassadors that have always behaved in a manner considered not compatible with the status of diplomats.”
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