A former U.S intelligence community expert, Matthew Page, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s 82-year-old Ambassadorial nominee to the United States, Sylvanus Nsofor, may be rejected for not being a “dynamic and energetic” person.
Recall that Nsofor’s nomination as Ambassador to the U.S had sparked controversy when President Buhari sent his name to the Nigerian Senate.
The Senate had rejected Nsofor’s nomination after the Department of State Services (DSS) advised that the ambassadorial nominee “will not be able to perform the duty of an officer due to his advanced age.”
Regardless, the Presidency sent the 82-year-old’s name back to upper legislative chamber for reconsideration, after which he was confirmed on June 7 for the job.
However, Mr. Page, while featuring in an interview, which aired on AIT, disclosed that the United States was uncomfortable with posting Nsofor to resume at its Washington DC office.
He said: “this chap (Nsofor) made headlines when he was nominated as an ambassador by Buhari. He is a very well respected Nigerian but his disadvantage is that he is 82-year-old.
“What I am hearing is that the US government is very uneasy about agreeing to have this ambassador posted to Washington because that is an extremely arduous drop.
“You have a growing schedule and its one of Nigeria’s largest overseas embassies to manage. This is something that needs a very dynamic and energetic person with an enormous constitution.
“So, there is uneasiness but there is also the desire to respect when a country sends you an ambassador. You can’t just say no, send me another one.
“The Nigerian government may sort of reconsider and realise that that person may not be best suited and that there are obviously a lot of talented Nigerian diplomats.
“So I don’t think there is a shortage for choice. PMB for whatever reason in his mind just wants this particular guy for this particular post and it’s probably not the best fit.”
