NIGERIAN AMBASSADOR TO UNITED STATES PUT ON HOLD

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

By admin

Published: May 13, 2009

NIGERIAN AMBASSADOR TO UNITED STATES PUT ON HOLD

Oluwaseyi Oduyela/Washington, DC

 

The troubled Nigerian diplomatic mission to the United States hit another road block with the failure of the ambassador designate Professor Adeniran to assume duty last week as scheduled.

Authoritative sources indicate that the ambassador’s deployment may have been halted due to the unfolding drama associated with his son’s arrest and detention in a US prison on 19 count charges involving kidnapping and rape with a deadly weapon.   

Reliable sources say that a send off party was hosted by the Minster of Foreign Affairs last week for the new ambassador. Indeed the embassy in Washington had already prepared to receive their new chief of mission who was to arrive Thursday and rest over the labor holiday weekend before assuming full duty, briefing and hand over from the charge d’ affaires.

 A Legal Consultant with expertise on diplomacy and international affairs says the appointment of Adeniran as ambassador to US when his son was facing criminal charges had “unpleasant legal implications” for the ambassador.

 In the first place, under relevant treaties to which both the US and Nigeria are signatories; the US court has a duty to notify the Nigerian embassy of the arrest of her citizen under “consular notification” requirements. It is not known if the court has already done so but given this scenario, it was very likely that one of the first duties of the new ambassador would have been to receive a letter from the court informing him that a citizen was in prison custody. Ironically the “citizen” would be his son.

 According to the legal expert, when the accused person serves his sentence, supposing he is convicted, the embassy would then have to assist the United States authorities in preparing the requisite paperwork to deport the ex-convict back to Nigeria. Again the ambassador would have to approve the paperwork involving the repatriation of his son. 

Analyst say in addition to these direct official complications for the ambassador-designate is the overriding issue of Nigeria’s battered image in the US. Said a Nigerian in Diaspora ”We have been fighting to show that not every Nigerian is a criminal. How can he with a straight-face say so to the world when his own son is in jail?”

 Observers say this is a complex legal conundrum for foreign affairs. Normally, relatives of diplomats have special visas and protections. Adeniran junior’s actions happened before such would apply to him. As such, the likely scenario would be that his trial would be proceeding simultaneously as his father is presiding over the affairs of Nigeria in the US – a very unusual and decidedly awkward situation.

 However it may have been better that the federal government of Nigeria stopped him from resuming and risk having to recall him again after presenting his letters of credence to Obama.

 Prior to this development, it was expected that he would present his credentials to President Obama at the White House shortly after the president’s return from summer vacation this month.

 

Now analysts are wondering whether the government of Nigeria will promptly move to bring in a tested diplomat such as the High Commissioner to Canada or Ambassador to the UN, both like Adeniran, professors and political appointees to fill in the vacuum. Prof Hagher, the High Commissioner of Nigeria to Canada had previously served in North America (Mexico) and so could have covered Washington as Ambassador ad interim to fill the vacuum. Similarly Prof Joy Ugwu, Permanent Representative to the UN in NY had been Minister of foreign previously and therefore an equally high-powered candidate to fill in the Washington position. However tribal politics of zoning to the Southwest eliminated both diplomats who were from the middlebelt and southeast respectively.

Indeed some had felt Ogwu, who was willing to assume the position, should get it to assuage the feelings of Igbos over General Olurotimi’s undiplomatic remarks. Others had said Hagher would be a neutral third party to calm nerves all round. The thinking now is that it is best for Ambassador to exchange with one of these other missions, preferably Canada or Mexico so he remains in North America but not in the United States.

 This would be the latest in a long line of diplomatic blunders perpetrated by this administration beginning with the General Olurotimi’s debacle over the “inauguration-gate” saga. This was after the appointment of Prof Gambari, UN Ass Sec Gen by Yar’Adua to head the Niger Delta peace summit. The summit died after protests that he had served as Abacha’s envoy to the world in defence of the execution of Ken Saro-wiwa and others which led to Nigeria’s diplomatic isolation by the international community. 

 Details about Professor Adeniran son’s arrest will follow shortly.

 Email This Post