New envoys named in massive sweep of Foreign Ministry

Nigeria’s outgoing military government yesterday named 41 envoys to head diplomatic missions in what has been described as the largest single reshuffle in its diplomatic service, news reports said, citing an official statement. The ministry said the move, which concerns mostly career diplomats, was “an integral part” of an effort to return Nigeria to international respectability after years of isolation because of its poor human rights record under Abacha’s military regime. One of the new appointees, career diplomat Eni Onobu, is being posted to Ethiopia to head Nigeria’s mission to the Organisation of African Unity, Africa’s foremost political body, PANA reported yesterday. “The deployment of envoys is coming on the heels of the suspension of the plan to prune the country’s foreign missions, currently put at 92,” ‘The Guardian’ said.