President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday nominated all the immediate past service chiefs as non-career ambassadors.
They are Gen Abayomi Olonisakin, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Usman, all retired.
The special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement entitled “President Buhari nominates Olonisakin, Buratai, Ibas, Abubakar, Usman as non-career ambassadors.”
Adesina said their names had been sent to the senate for confirmation.
The statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded the names of the immediate past Service Chiefs to the Senate as non-career Ambassadors-Designate.
“In a letter to Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, President of the Senate, the President said: ‘In accordance with Section 171 (1), (2) (c) & sub-section (4) of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate, the under-listed five (5) names of nominees as Non-Career Ambassadors-Designate.’
“The nominees are: Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin (Rtd ), Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (Rtd).
“The president urged the senate to give expeditious consideration to the nominations.”
