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By Lizzy Chirkpi
Public affairs analyst and legal practitioner, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, has penned an open letter to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, urging the Senate to reject the nomination of Mr. Reno Omokri for an ambassadorial appointment.
In the strongly worded letter titled “The Unsuitability of Mr. Reno Omokri for Ambassadorial Appointment,” Obienyem questioned the appropriateness of nominating Omokri, citing what he described as a “sustained, venomous campaign” the nominee waged against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the recent past.
“This is not about partisan affiliations,” Obienyem wrote, “but about the dignity and integrity required of those who represent Nigeria abroad.”
According to the letter, Mr. Omokri had, on multiple occasions, referred to President Tinubu with deeply derogatory terms including “drug addict,” “drug pusher,” “an invalid who has lost his faculties,” and “the grandfather of corruption.”
He noted that such statements, made publicly and deliberately, raise serious concerns about the nominee’s character and suitability to serve as a face of the nation on foreign soil.
“What message do we intend to send to the host country if such a man is confirmed to represent Nigeria there? How will Nigeria be respected when our ambassadors are people whose personal convictions can be bent for convenience?” Obienyem queried.
While acknowledging that the President reserves the right to nominate individuals of his choosing, Obienyem advised that if Mr. Omokri must be appointed, his role should be confined to domestic responsibilities where any potential embarrassment would remain within Nigeria’s borders.
“The position of ambassador is not merely political, it is symbolic, it is a role that demands consistency, integrity, and the ability to command respect both at home and abroad.”
He expressed confidence that the Senate, under Akpabio’s leadership, would act in the country’s best interest by rejecting what he described as an ill-advised nomination.
The Senate is expected to commence the screening of ambassadorial nominees in the coming days.