Nigerian Ambassador To The U.S. Ade Adefuye Is Dead

Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye, a historian who served as Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States, has died in Washington, DC, SaharaReporters just learned.

Mr. Adefuye died at a yet to be disclosed hospital in the US, a source in the US told our correspondent.

Mr. Adefuye was recalled to Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as President. He was still waiting to hand over to a new ambassador when he suddenly died today.

A former professor of history, Mr. Adefuye was in 2010 appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan as Nigeria’s ambassador in the US. An outspoken person and fierce defender of Nigeria, the deceased diplomat tackled critics of Nigeria in the US. He vociferously lobbied against Nigeria’s classification as “a country of interest” in America’s terrorism watch list.

Mr. Adefuye hailed from Ijebu-Igbo in 1947, and studied at the University of Ibadan where he earned his first degree in 1969 as well as a PhD in history in 1973. He also received a Fulbright Fellowship that enabled him to do research work at Columbia University, the University of North Florida, and the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Ambassador Adefuye, who wrote several history texts, taught at the University of Lagos, earning a professorship and heading the History Department 1985 to 1987.

Prior to his appointment to Nigeria’s Embassy in Washington, DC, Mr. Adefuye served as his country’s ambassador to Jamaica (where he was concurrently accredited to Haiti and Belize) from 1987 to 1991. In 1991, he was appointed Nigeria’s Deputy High Commissioner in the U.K., leaving to work for fourteen years as a Deputy Director at the Commonwealth. On leaving the Commonwealth, the former professor accepted a position as an advisor at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Nigerian Ambassador To The U.S. Ade Adefuye Is Dead

Buhari appoints Obasanjo as envoy on Guinea Bissau crisis

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday expressed deep concern over the unfolding political situation in Guinea Bissau.

Jonathan, Obasanjo, Babangida, Buhari

The political crisis was sparked off by the dismissal of the Prime Minister, Mr. Domingos Simoes Pereira, and his cabinet by President Jose Mario Vaz.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, in a statement on Friday, said in demonstration of true African solidarity and brotherhood, Buhari had sent former President Olusegun Obasanjo as his special envoy to mediate and help find a solution to the crisis brewing in the country.

Adesina disclosed that Obasanjo embarked on the first leg of his mission by consulting with the current Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Macky Sall of Senegal, in Dakar on Thursday.

He regretted that while the former President was still consulting with President Sall, President Jose Mario Vaz of Guinea Bissau proceeded to appoint and swear-in a new Prime Minister, Mr. Baciro Dja.

This development, he said, has worsened the political situation in his country.

He therefore quoted Buhari as appealing for calm and restraint in the country.

The statement read in part, “President Buhari appeals for calm and calls on the leadership in Guinea Bissau to exercise utmost restraint and ensure the maintenance of law and order as efforts continue to resolve the current crisis.

“The President particularly urges the leadership in Guinea Bissau, including the military, to ensure respect for constitutional order, sanctity of life and safety of citizens, and avoid taking any further action that can threaten the fragile democratic institutions recently established in the country.”

Buhari appoints Obasanjo as envoy on Guinea Bissau crisis

FG suspends Foreign Affairs Perm Sec Over recall of Nigerian Amb to South Africa

The Federal Government has suspended the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Danjuma Sheni, over the unauthorized recall of the Nigerian Ambassador to South Africa.

A highly placed government official in the Presidency told Vanguard that the president ordered the suspension of the Permanent Secretary Monday Morning and was directed to clarify why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for embarrassing the Nigerian government.

The source who did not want his name in print because he was not authorized to speak on the matter said the president was “livid with anger” when he read about the recall of the Nigerian Charge De Affairs who is also the head of mission without his authorization.

Nigeria presently does not have an ambassador in South Africa.

It is the second time since the appointment of the permanent Secretary, Ambassador Sheni that the Nigerian government would be brought to diplomatic ridicule over poor handling of diplomatic affairs.

In the first instance, the Ministry had claimed that President Goodluck Jonathan spoke with the King of Morocco on Phone, a claim that was denied by the Moroccoan government and later president Jonathan who ordered a full investigation into the matter.

The report of the investigation is still being awaited three weeks to the end of this administration.

The report of the alleged recall of the Nigerian Ambassador to South in the wake of the xenophobic attacks on foreigners and their businesses elicited a strong reaction from the South African government which described the action as “unfortunate”.

But the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati however clarified that the Charge De Affairs of Nigerian Embassy in South Africa has only been invited for “routine consultation”.

 

FG suspends Foreign Affairs Perm Sec Over recall of Nigerian Amb to South Africa

PVC better than US voter card – Ambassador

The Ambassador of the United States to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, has applauded the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to use the Permanent Voter Card in the general elections which commenced on Saturday.

The ambassador, who spoke with journalists at the International Conference Centre, venue of the National Collation Centre of the election results, on Sunday said Nigeria’s PVC involved superior technology which his state of Virginia in the US needed to copy.

He said, “I am very impressed by the decision of INEC to use technology in this election. The Permanent Voter Cards are very high-tech.

“They are more high tech than my voter card from the state of Virginia in the US. My voter card does not have biometric. It does not have my fingerprint. The high-tech gives the process more integrity.

“I congratulate INEC on taking the part of High-tech. I think we need to come and study it so that we can use it in my country.”

The ambassador expressed hope that INEC would address the challenges experienced in the use of card readers and move forward.

Entwistle, who said he monitored the elections in Abuja, expressed satisfaction over the patience and dedication of Nigerians to the smooth conduct of the exercise.

He said, “I was extremely impressed. On Saturday, I went to number of places in the FCT. Every place I went, I was impressed by the patience and dedication of the Nigerian voter. I found that inspirational.”

Entwistle further said Nigerians had reminded the world of how beautiful democracy was.

He said the expectation of the American government “is that the Nigerian people will win”.

He added that his country’s government would be willing to work with anybody who emerged as winner of the presidential election.

He said, “I mean they (the people) will get what they want which of course is a transparent, credible and non-violent election. We look forward to working with whatever government emerges from the election.”

PVC better than US voter card – Ambassador

FG summons Indonesian envoy over execution of Nigerians

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Aminu Wali, has summoned the Indonesian Ambassador to register Nigeria’s protest over the execution, by firing squad, of two Nigerians,  Solomon  Okafor (Alias Namaona Denils) and Daniels Enemuo (Alias Diarrassoube Mamadou) by the Indonesian government.

The Nigerians were executed for drug offences at the Island of Nusakambangu in Cilacap, Central Java Province, despite appeals by the Federal Government.

Also executed with them were two women, one each from Indonesia and Vietnam, two Brazilians, and one Dutch national.

A statement on Sunday in Abuja by the Director, Public Communication Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, said the executions were carried out despite persistent pleas for clemency made by the FG  including the National Assembly.

“The executions had taken place against the grain of the excellent relations that subsist between Nigeria and Indonesia,” the statement noted.

The government expressed its sympathy and condolences to the families of the deceased and also appealed to Nigerians to desist from drug trafficking which attracts the capital punishment in Indonesia and in many other countries around the world.

The FG said it would continue to engage the Indonesian authorities to negotiate and conclude a Prisoner Transfer Agreement that may enable other convicted Nigerians to return home to serve their prison terms.

It said, “Thus, the ​F​oreign ​M​inister has summoned the Indonesian Ambassador to register Nigeria’s protest.

“Meanwhile, it strongly appeals, once again, to the Indonesian authorities to exercise clemency for other 12 Nigerians on the death row in the country.”

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FG summons Indonesian envoy over execution of Nigerians