By Ishaya Ibrahim
An activist, Prince Arugbajoye O Davidson, has begun collecting signatures of Nigerians who feel that Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor, the 84-year old Nigerian Ambassador to the United States is too old for the office.
Nsofor was appointed in 2017 when he was 82 year old. He is now 84, managing Nigeria’s most strategic diplomatic posting, which is the United States.
Davidson said because of Nsofor’s old age, Consular activities at the Nigerian embassy in Washington DC are being slowed down.
“Rather, our Consulate Chamber in DC seems to be the nursing home where he is being buttered and bread,” he said,
The activist decided to solicit for the signatures of 1,500 Nigerians who think that the Ambassador was too old to hold that office, and for President Muhammadu Buhari to fire him.
“Even if they forced it on him, by way of common logic and patriotism, should he not have rejected it? His productivity as an ambassador is definitely zero, even negative because those who should be busy with other diplomatic responsibilities are busy supporting and enhancing his mobility,” he said.
Davidson said the senate should have never confirmed him as an Ambassador when he appeared for screening and refused to recite the national anthem.
“The octogenarian had defiantly told the senate that there was no way he would recite the national anthem. ‘Why should I do so? You should have sent me a syllabus,’ was his response,” Davidson said.
The activist said when Monsurat Sunmonu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, presented her report on Nsofor’s screening, she said: ‘His responses to the issues raised were either not answered or devoid of details and mostly satirical.’
So far, 1088 people have signed the petition within the first 24 hours of its launch. Will such signatures move the president? Not many are hopeful.
