25 Ambassadors, Heads Of Foreign Missions Dismissed From Office By Presidency

A spokesperson of the foreign  affairs ministry, Ferdinand Nwonye, on Tuesday confirmed the sacking of 25 ambassadors and heads of foreign mission by the Federal Government.

It was reported that the affected ambassadors and heads of mission had earlier been informed of the plan to disengage them at the end of 2019, but they had insisted that the sack was sudden.

The ambassadors had complained that the letter of disengagement sent to them by the foreign affairs minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, in November 2019, did not give them time to complete diplomatic activities and prepare for their return to Nigeria.

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Onyeama, according to Daily Sun, had reminded the affected officials that they were supposed to have left their positions since 2018, but that their tenures were extended by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The report quoted Nwoye as earlier saying the demand by the ambassadors that they should be given time to pay farewell visits to the presidents of their host countries and carry out other last-minute functions was selfish.

The ministry’s spokesperson was quoted as saying a telegram was sent to the ambassadors asking that they hand over to the most senior officers in their respective embassies and missions.