New envoys: Sarafa Ishola posted to UK, Seriki Spain, Emenike USA

The Federal Government has released the list of postings for Nigerian envoys showing a former Minister of Mines and Steel, Sarafat Ishola, emerging as the nation’s new High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, while another ex-Minister of State for Defence, Demola Seriki, moves to Spain as the ambassador.

The release follows the approval by President Muhammadu Buhari, which also shows the Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian, Debo Adesina, moving to Togo as the ambassador.

The current Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland, Dr Uzoma Emenike, who is also a career diplomat, was posted to the United States as the ambassador, while M.I. Bashir will serve as deputy ambassador.

In the latest posting, about 11 ambassadors were reappointed, eight retained in their current countries of posting while three others were redeployed.

There are 52 non-career envoys posted out by the President and 43 career ambassadors based on the confirmed list from the Senate.

The list shows that the eight ambassadors that will remain at their duty posts as  Mohammed Rimi (United Arab Emirates), Jidda Baba (China), Gani Bura (Lebanon), Yusuf Tuggar (Germany), Baba Madugu (Switzerland) and Deborah Illiya (Congo).

Ambassador Tijani Muhammmad-Bande will also retain his position as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York while Adeyinka Asekun will remain the High Commissioner to Canada.

Modupe Irele, who is the current Ambassador to France, will move to Hungary while Eniola Ajayi, the Ambassador to Hungary, goes to the Netherlands.

For non-career diplomats, Ms Ijeoma Chineyerem will resume as the Ambassador to Ireland; Oma Djebah will be posted to Thailand; Abdulahi Shehu (Russia), Haruna Manta (South Africa), Kayode Laro (France), Paul Adikwu (The Vatican), Abubakar Moriki (Japan), Mrs. Opunimi Akinkugbe (Greece) and Ali Magashi (South Korea).

Other postings are M.O. Abam (Italy), N.A. Kolo (Israel), A. Sule (India), G.Y. Hamza (Ghana), A.N. Madubike (Australia), O.C Onowu (Belgium).

The remaining appointees will be expected to serve as deputy ambassadors or heads of mission.

They are A.E. Alleboy (Deputy Ambassador to France), G.E. Edokpa (Deputy Permanent Representative to The UN), Ben Okoyen (Cuba), G.M. Okeke (Deputy Head of Mission to Switzerland), S.Sani to London, (Deputy High Commissioner to UK), I.A Iwejuo (Ethiopia as Deputy Ambassador), I.A. Alatishe (Deputy Ambassador to Russia) and I.R. Ocheni (Germany).