The delay in appointing ambassadors – Part 3

The achievements of Dr Edwin Ogbu were also recognised by Idoma people and in 1995, the Och’Idoma II, Dr. Ajene Okpabi, made him the “Ochojila K’Idoma” a traditional title which translates into leader of Idoma people. The title was conferred on him in recognition of his contributions to the development of Idoma land.

Dr Edwin Ogbu continued his service to Idoma community and when Ajene Okpabi passed away, he was made the chairman of the Central Planning Committee of the transition of Och’Idoma following the death of Ajene Okpabi in late 1995.

When the search for a successor to Ajene Okpabi began, Dr Edwin Ogbu was an overwhelming favourite to become Och’Idoma and it was no surprise when he was announced as the Och’Idoma III on January 10, 1996. His ascension to the throne, gave the position of Och’Idoma more prestige and credibility due to stature of Dr Edwin Ogbu in world politics. Unfortunately, Dr Edwin Ogbu passed away in 1997 before he could really establish his mark as Och’Idoma. Dr Edwin Ogbu has a place in Idoma folklore, as there is a popular saying that translates into “no matter how hard you study, you cannot be better educated than Dr Edwin Ogbu Iyanga.”

Major General Joseph Nanven Garba  ( July 17, 1943 – June 1, 2002) served as president of the United Nations General Assembly from 1989 to 1990. He served as federal commissioner for external affairs from 1975 to 1978, commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy from 1978 to 1979 and commander of the Brigade of Guards from 1968 to 1975.

Following the coup in 1975, Garba made a shift from the military to politics and diplomacy. In 1975 he was appointed Nigeria’s foreign minister (Federal Commissioner for External Affairs) by General Murtala Mohammed, and continued in this role under General Olusegun Obasanjoọ after the former was assassinated on February 13, 1976. Garba was the head of the Nigerian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly from 1975, culminating in his appointment as President of the United Nations Security Council in January 1978. 

In 1978, as General Obasanjo was preparing to hand rule of Nigeria over to civilians, Garba was reassigned to the role of Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy. He held this position until 1980, when he left to study at the National Defence College in New Delhi, India. Following this, Garba studied as a fellow at Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University, where he obtained a Master’s degree in Public Administration. 

Returning to diplomatic life, Garba was appointed a Permanent Representative to the United Nations in 1984, a role he continued in until 1989. In 1989, he was elected President of the United Nations General Assembly for its forty-fourth session. 

Mention must be named of Chief Arthur Christopher Izuegbunam Mbanefo (94), who was born on June 11, 1930 in Onitsha, Anambra state. He had his education at the Government School, Ogwashi-Uku, 1937-1939, St. Mary’s School, Port Harcourt, 1940-1941, Christ the King School, Aba, 1942, Practicing School, Uyo, 1943-1944, Government School, Afikpo, 1944-1945, St. Benedict’s School, Ogoja, 1946, St. Patrick’s School, Calabar, 1947-1953, Accountancy Studies, England, 1962, Centre for Applied Management and Technology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA, 1965-1966.

He was Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, former Republic of Biafra, 1968-1970, became partner, Akintola Williams and Company, April 1965, also Managing Director, AW Consultants Limited, 1973, Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University(OAU),Ile-Ife, July 1986, fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, director, Umarco Nigeria Limited since 1971, director, UACN of Nigeria Limited since 1978 and president, Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria, 1978-1979. He became Nigeria’s ambassador to the United Nations in the year 2000. 

Alhaji Maitama Yusuf Sule (1October 1, 1929 – July 3, 2017) had his education at the Shahuri Elementary School, Kano, 1937-1939, Kano Middle School, 1940-1942, Kaduna College, 1942-1946, Special Higher Elementary Teacher’s Course, Zaria, 1947, teacher, Kano Middle School, 1947-1954, visiting teacher, 1954-1955, chief information officer, Native Authority, 1955-1956, member, House of Representatives, 1954-1966, chief whip, Northern People’s Congress, 1955-1959, Federal Minister of Mines and Power, 1959-1966, state commissioner, Kano, 1967-1974, chairman, National Council for Arts and Culture, Lagos, 1974, chief public complaints commissioner for the federation, 1975, later Permanent Representative to the United Nation, 1981-1983, also elected chairman, United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid, 1981-1983.  

Ambassador Judith Sefiya Attah, a princess from Okene in Kogi state, was the minister of women affairs under General Ibrahim Babangida (83) GCFR. According to records, she is the first Ebira woman to obtain a university degree. 

In 1987, she became the first female ambassador/permanent secretary (and later director-general) position up till 1991, when she was again posted as the first female ambassador to Italy with concurrent accreditation to Greece and Cyprus. Ambassador Attah was recalled in January 1995 to serve as the first minister of the newly- created Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare and member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC). 

Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari served as Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari from 2020 to 2023. He previously served as Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations from 1990 to 1999 and minister of external affairs from 1984 to 1985.

Professor Gambari was born on November 24, 1944 in Ilorin, Kwara State to a Fulani ruling class family. His nephew Ibrahim Sulu Gambari is the Emir of Ilorin. 

Gambari attended King’s College, Lagos. He subsequently attended the London School of Economics where he obtained his B. Sc. (Economics) degree (1968) with specialisation in International Relations. He later obtained his M.A. (1970) and Ph. D. (1974) degrees from Columbia University, New York, United States in Political Science /International Relations.

Gambari began his teaching career in 1969 at City University of New York before working at University of Albany. Later, he taught at Ahmadu Bello University, in Zaria, Kaduna State. From 1986 to 1989, he was Visiting Professor at three universities in Washington, D.C.: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Georgetown University and Howard University. He has also been a research fellow at the Brookings Institution also in Washington, D.C. and a Resident Scholar at the Bellagio Study and Conference Center, the Rockefeller Foundation-run center in Italy. He has written so many books and published in reputable journals in foreign policy and international relations, such as ‘Theory and Reality in Foreign Policy: Nigeria after second Republic’. 
 
Professor Gambari served as the Minister for External Affairs between 1984 and 1985 under General Muhammadu Buhari’s military regime, after he was the director general of The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA). From 1990 to 1999, he holds the record of being the longest serving Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations, serving under five Heads of State and Presidents.

Gambari has held several positions in the United Nations. In 1999, he was the President of UNICEF and later became UN Under Secretary-General and the first Special Adviser on Africa to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan from 1999 to 2005.

He was the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Political Affairs from 2005 to 2007 under Secretary-General’s Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon. His last appointment in the UN was from January 2010 to July 2012, when he was appointed by Ban Ki-moon and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission as the Joint African Union-United Nations Special Representative for Darfur. 

In terms of outstanding and reputable ambassadors, Nigeria is not in short supply, not at all. Too many of them are still around. They are our greatest contribution to the world of diplomacy. Ambassadors don’t suffer in comparison with other top government officials. 

Nigeria is still one of the important villages of the world.

Concluded.

Teniola, a former Director at the Presidency, wrote from Lagos.