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Ambassadors: FG Screens Femi Fani-Kayode, Others, Reno Omokri Copiously Missing

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The Federal Government is vetting potential candidates to fill diplomatic roles in its 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 global consulates, The PUNCH reports.

Impeccable sources familiar with the developments revealed that a former Minister of Aviation under the Obasanjo administration, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, and a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro, are among the nominees.

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It was gathered that the vetting is not conducted centrally, as nominees are being asked to report to the DSS offices nearest to them.

Presidency officials confirmed to our correspondent that several candidates had been contacted to provide personal education and work history.

“They’re already doing security checks with DSS. When they have cleared security checks, we will release the list.

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“Only those who have been cleared are announced. The process is ongoing. I know that we should have a list before the end of this month (April),” one official revealed, preferring to remain anonymous as he was not authorised to speak to the press.

READ ALSO: Don’t Kill Democracy In Nigeria, Dele Momodu Tells Tinubu

A second source said, “The vetting is not done centrally. It is based on the location of the nominees. Nominees have been reached to provide personal history and information such as where they attended school, what appointments they have held, and the like. So, it is by location.”

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Tinubu’s 4Ds and funding issues

Since September 2023, President Bola Tinubu has operated his 4Ds—Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora—foreign policy without ambassadors.

That month, he concluded a sector-wide reassessment of Nigeria’s foreign policy, which saw over 83 career and non-career ambassadors recalled from their stations.

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Last December, reliable sources close to the President confirmed that Tinubu spent part of his holiday reviewing the names of nominees with plans to transmit a consolidated list to the National Assembly before the end of the month.

However, updates in January revealed that the President changed his mind.

It was gathered that the process suffered delays due to the paucity of funds—to the tune of $1bn —required to pay arrears of foreign service officials, settle a backlog of overheads, replace ageing vehicles and renovate embassy buildings.

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READ ALSO: BREAKING: Tinubu Extends Immigration Boss, Nandap’s Tenure

One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “You see, the major issue is money. Not money to pay them [ambassadors], because how much is their salaries and benefits? The main money is CAPEX [Capital Expenditure]. By the time they put the cost together to fix the issues, it is running to almost $1bn.

“Most of those embassies, almost 90 per cent, are rundown. Either the residence is not good, the embassy does not have a functional office, or their rent has expired. The embassies that are buoyant may not be up to 10 as we speak.

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“I understand that some of them don’t have serviceable vehicles. The last vehicles they bought were from 10 years ago. Some of them are broken down, and ambassadors cannot use such vehicles because they carry the image of the country. Some of them don’t even have power and running water. So, if you post ambassadors there today, you’re sending them to trouble.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, also attributed the delay to financial constraints.

“It is a money problem,” Tuggar said during a ministerial briefing in Abuja last May.

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He argued that appointing ambassadors without the financial resources to support their travel and the effective running of missions abroad was pointless.

“We met a situation where foreign affairs was not being funded like it should be. Some loopholes are exploited by the likes of Binance. It is a money problem.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Approves 4 New Appointments (FULL LIST)

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“There is no point sending out ambassadors if you do not have the funds for them to even travel to their designated countries and to run the missions effectively, one needs funding. Mr President is working on it, and it will be done in due course,” Tuggar said.

A foreign service official explained that though provisions had been made in the 2025 budget to cover some of that cost, the funds were hardly enough.

Nominees on the list

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Senior Presidency and foreign service officers say although the complete list of nominees is highly classified, some prominent and controversial figures are being screened.

One official said, “They’re going to announce the appointments soon. They are being screened as we speak. The names of the nominees are highly classified for now because not every one of the names listed will eventually make it through.

“FFK [Femi Fani-Kayode] is on the list. These are some of the controversial names that have been put forward as well. Then there is Fola Adeola [founder of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc] and Femi Pedro too. They’re moving on with the process more quickly this time.”

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Giving reasons for the slow process, another official explained that the vetting was necessary to avoid complications that might hurt the country’s standing on the global scene.

READ ALSO: Knocks As Eniola Badmus Reiterates Her Support For President Tinubu

The nominees are being vetted, and background checks are being conducted on them. It is usually done so that the nominees will not have any security issues and their deployment will not have a negative impact on the country,” the official said.

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There was also a claim that Reno Omokri, a former aide of former President Goodluck Jonathan, was on the list.

But a credible source in the Presidency denied it.

“Reno is not on the list. But FFK is there,” the source said.

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The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, who earlier spoke about the delays, said nominations for ambassadorial roles must be thorough before a final list is transmitted to the National Assembly.

“Don’t forget that the ambassadorial list has two components. There are career ambassadors and political ambassadors. The foreign affairs list and the consolidated list will still go through certain processes before they are released,” he explained.

Two of the nominees, when contacted by The PUNCH, declined comment.

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They also did not confirm or deny the report.

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Malnutrition: Bauchi Govt Doles Out N300m To Fight Menace

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The Bauchi state government released the sum of N300 million as contribution to the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) in order to combat malnutrition in under 5 children in the state.

Dr Nuzhat Rafique, the Chief of Field Office, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi Field Office, stated this during an interaction with Journalists on Wednesday in Bauchi.

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According to her, the money was a contribution of Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state and the 20 Local Government Chairmen in the state.

She explained that the money released to the CNF is part of the deliberate efforts to eradicate severe acute malnutrition (SAM) among children U-5 in Bauchi state.

READ ALSO: UNICEF Urges Women To Breastfeed Babies Within One Hour Of Birth, Warns Against Breastmilk Substitutes Usage

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UNICEF would also provide a matching sum of N300 million, bringing the total intervention fund to N600m for the procurement of the foods and other items required for the fight against malnutrition.”

The UNICEF boss said, the release of the fund sequel to the familiarisation visit of the new UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Wafaa Saeed, to the Bauchi State Governor.

We are grateful to the Governor of Bauchi State for releasing the promised N200m to UNICEF.

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“We also appreciate the Association of Local Governments Of Nigeria (ALGON), Bauchi state chapter for the N100 million it released for the programme, making a total of N300m.

“This is a great milestone in our advocacy efforts. UNICEF will match the same amount, which will significantly help in tackling malnutrition in the state,” she stressed.

READ ALSO:UNICEF Urges Women To Breastfeed Babies Within One Hour Of Birth, Warns Against Breastmilk Substitutes Usage

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Rafique further said that the Governor had promised to increase the State’s contribution to N1bn next year, which UNICEF also pledged to match.

She however, emphasised the need for long-term strategies, including behavioural change and local solutions to prevent malnutrition, adding that it is easier and better to prevent than to fight it.

She noted that UNICEF’s focus was not only on treatment but also on promoting proper child feeding practices and maternal care from conception through the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.

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She also called on Journalists in the state not to relent in the partnership with UNICEF in the bid to create a healthy environment for children and women.

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FG Declares Public Holiday For Eid-ul-Mawlid

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The Federal Government has declared Friday, September 5, 2025, as a public holiday to mark this year’s Eid-ul-Mawlid, the celebration of the birth of Prophet Muhammad.

The statement was issued on Wednesday by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, on behalf of the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

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The government congratulated Muslims across the country and in the diaspora on the occasion, urging them to emulate the Prophet’s virtues of peace, love, humility, tolerance, and compassion.

The statement also encouraged Nigerians of all faiths to use the celebration to pray for peace, security, and stability in the country, while supporting government’s efforts to strengthen national unity and foster development.

READ ALSO:Lagos Declares Holiday For Isese Festival

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The Minister of Interior wishes Muslims a joyous and peaceful Eid-ul-Mawlid celebration.

“The celebration of Eid-ul-Mawlid offers us yet another opportunity to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood, promote peaceful coexistence, and imbibe the Prophet’s teachings of mutual respect and selfless service to humanity,” the statement added.

The government appealed to citizens to remain law-abiding and security conscious while supporting its policies aimed at promoting national unity and sustainable development.

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READ ALSO:Democracy Day: FG Declares June 12 Public Holiday

Eid-ul-Mawlid, observed in the third month of the Islamic calendar (Rabi’ al-Awwal), commemorates the birth of Prophet Muhammad. It is marked with prayers, lectures, processions, and acts of charity.

In Nigeria, the day is recognised as a national public holiday, reflecting the country’s large Muslim population and long-standing tradition of observing major Islamic festivals.

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The holiday is often used by religious leaders and government officials to call for peace and unity, particularly at a time when Nigeria continues to grapple with security and economic challenges.

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20-year-old TikToker Peller Buys N350m Lekki Mansion, Promises To Reveal Secret Benefactors

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TikTok influencer Habeeb Hazmat, popularly known as Peller, has announced the purchase of a luxurious N350 million mansion located on Chevron Drive, Lekki, Lagos.

The 20-year-old influencer revealed the news during a live session with fellow creator Sandra Benede, expressing excitement about his new home.

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He also shared the update on Instagram with the caption, “Look at me. God has been so good to me, and I’m so grateful to God and my fans all around the world. Congratulations to me. Finally got a place where I can be loud without landlord wahala.”

READ ALSO:BEDC Sets To Construct 33KV Line From Okpella To Igarra In Edo

Peller disclosed that he intends to move into the mansion by October 2025. While acknowledging his TikTok earnings, he clarified that the property wasn’t funded solely by his content creation income.

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According to him, several wealthy individuals frequently send him large sums of money while insisting on anonymity.

I don’t want people to say it’s TikTok money alone. Some big people dey enter my DM to say, ‘Peller send account.’ They’ll send me money and tell me not to mention their names. But once my house is fully ready, I’ll mention names,” he said.

 

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