We note the nominations of service chiefs, two of whom achieved the dubious distinction of institutionalizing crass corruption and cronyism by building universities in their homes towns instead of securing the country from terrorism, as ambassadors.

It is sad that Buhari is exporting lethargic failure abroad too.

Firstly, MG Buhari managed to ruin even a modest step of replacing the failed chiefs who bungled the war on terror by elevating mediocrity and rewarding corruption yet again.

Secondly, Diplomacy is not the specialty of Generals. Indeed you only bring in the military when diplomacy has failed.

For instance, Gen Olu Rotimi was removed as ambassador in Washington after a bitter feud between him and the Minister of Foreign affairs Ojo Maduekwe. Their quarrel was so strong that ambassador wrote to Madueke stating that he had killed ragtag Biafrans like him in the civil war. Ambassador Olu Rotimi was removed shortly after.

Thirdly, the Buhari regime said that the most recent Nigerian ambassador to USA was not reappointed after a “performance evaluation” although it was

MG Buhari who singlehandedly appointed Justice Nsofor as a reward for ruling in his favor in an election case. He was not nominated by his home state.

Buhari’s ambassadorial appointments of the ex-service chiefs like Justice Nsofor was despite knowledge of their debilitating inadequacies once again at the expense of the nation.

While we understand that Buhari has done this in the hope of thwarting their prosecution for war crimes having failed in his bid to appoint a Nigerian to the International Criminal Court, his back-up plan is flawed.

Under International Criminal Law, diplomatic immunity is not a bar from international crimes e.g. war crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, etc.

This rule is supported by International customary law as well as The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court codified in its Article 27. Please see excerpt.

If Omar Bashir as then President of Sudan was indicted and a warrant issued for his arrest, it is unclear why Buhari’s Advisers gave him faulty information that these ambassadorships grant immunity for war crimes.

Whatever the case once again the regime’s corruption, abuse of power for personal politics of self preservation instead of national interest is obvious for the whole world to see.

One can elude human justice but one can never evade divine justice.

Barrister Emmanuel Ogebe is of the US Nigeria Law Group, Washington USA. He is Special Counsel, Justice for Jos Project Seeking to end impunity in the Nigerian Genocide.

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