Nigerian senators Tuesday, confirmed the 47 ambassadorial nominees sent to it by the presidency.
However, the lawmakers lambasted some nominees for career Ambassadors who could not recite the Nigerian Anthem and National Pledge during their screen recently.
It would be recalled that 4 out of the 47 nominees who attended Senate screening in August this year fumbled when the committee asked them to recite the National Anthem.
While submitting the report on the floor of the Senate, the committee Chairman on Foreign Affairs, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu admitted that four nominees could not recite the Anthem and National Pledge, but the committee overlooked it when those concerned pleaded and also promised that they would improve on it, when appointed.
The decision of the committee to screen and all recommend 47 names on the list, despite their shortcomings, did not go down well with some Senators who could not withhold their dissatisfaction.
Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North) queried the committee for screening and recommending the 47 nominees, despite their shortcomings during the screening exercise.
“Why did the committee recommend everybody on the list,” Nwaoboshi probed.
He condemned the submissions of the committee and added that someone who could not recite the Anthem of his or her country should not be made to represent same country in foreign land.
On his part, Senator Tijani Yahaya Laura (Zamfara North) expressed concern that the 116 foreign missions have remained inactive for months, due to inability of Nigerian government to send her Diplomats to occupy those vacant positions.
The Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, Deputy Minority Leader, Bala Ibn Na’allah and Senator James Manager (Delta South) however saved the day by convincing the Senate to confirm the nomination of the 47 career Ambassadors, saying that anxieties may have been responsible for their failure to recite the Anthem.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, therefore led the Senate into the committee of the whole where the 47 nominees were confirmed.
