Their inclusion is generating bad blood due to what ministry sources perceive as gross-injustice and abuse of due process in the selection of new career ambassadors.
THISDAY gathered on tuesday that the inclusion of the names of the two female nominees from Ogun and Anambra States was already ruffling shoulders.
At the centre of the controversy is Ms. Dupe Soretire from Ogun State, who is taking the slot of Lagos State by virtue of her marriage.
Now known as Mrs. Dupe Quist Adebiyi, some ministry officials, THISDAY gathered, were kicking based on extant circular issued by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHSOF) in the last 10 years to the effect that officers could no longer go on posting on the basis of citizenship by marriage but by birth.
The circular, THISDAY learnt, was necessitated by the discovery that some female officers were fraudulently obtaining marriage certificates for the purpose of securing foreign posting to the disadvantage of their male counterparts.
Foreign posting, especially, the appointment of ambassadors was said to be based on seniority and federal character.
According to a source in the ministry, “even if Mrs. Quist Adebiyi, is to be selected on the basis of marriage to represent Lagos State, she would still not make on the seniority criterion as she is number three.”
The second ambassadorial nominee, whose inclusion in the list is also being contested is Mrs Akabuogu Chinwuba, representing Anambra State.
In seniority, she was said to be behind the daughter of late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Edwin Umezoke and one Mr. Ejinaka, described as a very experienced and intelligent senior officer.
It was gathered that the changes, which brought in the two names being questioned by some officials of the ministry happened at the presidency level.
THISDAY gathered that some aggrieved officials had confronted the ministry’s hierarchy, which had absolved itself of complicity, insisting that due process was followed in the nomination of potential ambassadors.
Some aggrieved officials although not directly affected by ‘the anomaly’ were warming up to protest to the Senate through a petition in order to forestall a dangerous precedence.
They argued that if the ministry’s hierarchy had followed due process by submitting a list of nominees considered to merit ambassadorial posting, and at the level of the Presidency, some names were smuggled in, it may alter laid down structures not only now but in the future, create a dangerous precedence capable of breeding animosity and serious destabilisation in the service.
“Even though it is the prerogative of Mr. President to appoint ambassadors, it doesn’t mean they should close their eyes to due process which was put in place to safeguard the system, especially when the affected individuals are career officers,” an official told THISDAY Tuesday.
Source: Thisday
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