The Presidency on Monday stated that it will not lobbying Senators for confirmation of appointments of the immediate past Service Chiefs as Ambassadors.
President Muhamnadu Buhari had on Thursday through a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Femi Adesina, forwarded request for confirmation to the Senate as Ambassadors former Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin; former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Yusuf Tukur Buratai; former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Sadique Abubakar; and former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas.
Buhari’s request caused ripples in the polity last week as the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, kicked against the nominations by describing them as reward for failure or non performance.
But the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare, in an interview with journalists on Monday, stated that the Presidency was not loosing sleep on the request.
When asked whether lobbying is being used by the Presidency to get the appointments of the erstwhile Service Chiefs confirmed in the Senate, Omoworare said he was not aware of such move.
He, however, added that lobbying in governance between the Executive and the Legislature and vice versa was normal and practised in all democracies.
He said: “I think if anybody says there is any lobbying going on as regards nominations of former Service Chiefs for Ambassadorial appointments by Mr President, I am not aware.
“But if there is lobbying going on for them to pass through the confirmation process, I sincerely think it is in order.
“It is not an aberration.
“It’s not a transgression.
“It’s not a sin for lobbying to occur.
“Having been Service Chiefs before, should they be nominated as ambassadors, especially because the Senate and House of representatives have not been on the same page with them?
“It is normal.
“That does not mean they cannot be successful ambassadors.
“It is for the senators to determine whether looking at their profiles, their curriculum Vitae and their credentials they can be good representatives of Nigeria.
“For them to even be Service Chiefs, it means they have attained some heights because being Service Chiefs is being at the pinnacle of their career, which is an achievement.”