The Federal Government on Monday, said the inability of ambassadors to resume in their different countries of assignment because of delay in agreement.
Permanent Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Olusola Enikaolaye, stated this in Abuja, while addressing journalists.
He said 44 career- ambassadors-designate have been deployed to their respective countries of accreditation. Only 12 out of the 44 agreement have been received.
The agreement or agreemo is consent to the proposed ambassador deployed to a particular country, or consent from one nation to another agreeing to the appointment of an ambassador or envoy.
The Permanent secretary explained that the career ambassadors-designate would resume when agreements (consent) have been obtained from prospective countries.
According to him, “There are three categories of ambassadors that President Muhammadu Buhari has already approved.
“The first set was announced publicly and those are the ones going to International organization, like I said New York, Geneva and the AU in Addis Ababa.
“Mohammed Tijani, the New Permanent representative in New York has already assumed duty, A.A Kadir an ambassador and Permanent Representative in Geneva had submitted his letter of credence and assumed duty.
“The third one is Bankole Adeoye Ambassador to the AU at Addis Ababa he is waiting his agreement to proceed to Addis Ababa,” he said.
He added, “The second category is the group of career ambassadors who have all been deployed to their respective countries of accreditation.
“However they cannot proceed until we received agreement for all of them, they are about 44 in this category.
“Agreement have started coming, the agreement are coming in bit by bit, they do not come at the same time.
“The third category of ambassadors is the non-career ambassador which is yet to be deployed,” he said.
He said that, this is because government was yet to assign them to countries of assignment adding that they would be assigned before the next stage of asking for agreement.
“That work is in progress, it is almost completed as soon as that is completed the countries to which they have been deployed will be the first to know.
“And, once agreement is received for each of them we will make announcement but we will not make announcement until the countries have given consent, which is agreement.
“This where we are, we expected that all of these should be completed in the next couple of weeks,” he said.
He said that he Ministry would do whatever is necessary to fast-track the process so that you can be fully installed in their Missions without further delay.
LAIDE AKINBOADE-ORIERE
