Nigerian Ambassador to US, Oluwole Rotimi, Sacked
•Calls Foreign Minister a tribalist •Boasts that he defeated Maduekwe’s “ragtag” Biafran Army
By Yemi Adebowale in Lagos and Constance Ikoku in Washington DC, 02.14.2009


President Umaru Yar’Adua has appro-ved the immediate recall of Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, retired Brigadier-General Oluwole Rotimi, for “gross insubordination.”
Sources at the Nigerian embassy in Washington DC said the decision to recall Rotimi followed his running disagreement with the Foreign Affairs Minister, Ojo Maduekwe, over issues bordering on activities of the mission, policy, protocol and hierarchy.
The disagreement that was said to have started last year resulted in a series of correspondence between Maduekwe and Rotimi, culminating in a letter written by the latter in which he called the minister a tribalist and boasted, “I have dealt with people like you in the past. I was the Adjutant General of the Nigerian army that thoroughly defeated your ragtag Biafran army.”
Maduekwe who was piqued by the contents of the letter, particularly the reference to the Biafran war, formally complained to the President in a memo, attaching Rotimi’s letter.
Maduekwe in his letter to the President stated: “This man (Rotimi) has no temperament to be an ambassador of Nigeria in our most important mission.
“This is a strategic assessment of the situation. Anyone who has such a disposition may not be able to handle the Nigerian embassy in Washington, which is deemed in Nigerian diplomatic circles as a strategic and sensitive mission.
“The recommendation that he be recalled has to do with his capacity to run the place. It is not personal.”
It was on this basis that the President immediately approved his recall from the mission. In the interim, Ambassador Wakil, the Deputy Ambassador has been asked to oversee the mission pending the appointment of a replacement.
All efforts to reach the Ambassador last night on his mobile phone proved unsuccessful as it kept entering voice mail. Voice messages were not returned as at press time either.
A Nigerian embassy official in Washington disclosed that the root cause of the friction between both officials started sometime last year when Maduekwe wrote two letters inviting the Ambassador and his deputy, Ambassador Wakil to a meeting in Abuja to discuss the emergence of Barack Obama as the 44th US President and what it would mean for Nigeria-US relations.
Rotimi was said to have felt slighted that the minister wrote a separate letter to his deputy whom he regarded as his subordinate.
He subsequently wrote two protest letters - one to Maduekwe and a second one to the Secretary to the Govern-ment of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed. He also asked that the trip be rescheduled to enable him sort out one or two things.
Not satisfied, Rotimi further wrote to Senator Jubril Aminu, Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, on the same issue.
Rotimi then proceeded to Abuja when he did not receive an official reply from the minister. Maduekwe on the other hand was reportedly irked that the Ambassador proceeded on the trip without the necessary approval.
Rotimi’s action, an embassy official divulged, was seen as an infringement of an important regulation regarding the movement of public officers.
Insiders familiar with the Nigerian civil service set up said his trip was arbitrary given his protest letter and request for a postponement of the meeting, and that since he had not received feedback, it was seen as gross insubordination within foreign service regulations.
According to an official: “when you write, you wait for a reply. Movement must be sanctioned by your boss.”
Similarly, Maduekwe’s effort to streamline the operations of the foreign affairs ministry, particularly the embassies, was said to have been resisted by Rotimi in Washington.
The minister’s brusque style of leadership has reportedly ruffled feathers in the foreign service where most officials are used to “business as usual” bosses.
As such, the little or lack of cordial relations between both men compounded matters, making it almost impossible to mend fences.
In addition, other occurrences pointed to strained relations between the public officers. The usual practice is that an Ambassador receives the foreign minister at the airport when he arrives a country, and sees him off at the end of his official trip.
This was not the case when the minister visited Washington sometime last year to give a talk at a think-tank in the capital city.
However, by January this year, Rotimi tried to seek a rapprochement when he led a delegation to receive Maduekwe who flew into Washington as the head of the Nigerian delegation to President Obama’s inauguration.
But the short-lived détente came under strain again when Rotimi, during the swearing-in ceremony, introduced Emeka Anyaoku, the president’s special envoy, as the leader of delegation in the presence of the minister.
THISDAY learnt that there was actually a disagreement before the trip as to who should lead the delegation to the event.
Eventually, Anyaoku was mandated to head the Federal Government team, while Maduekwe led the foreign ministry team.
But this presented an image problem for Nigeria, because it gave the impression that the home base was in disarray.
Another official of the Nigerian embassy in Washington alleged that Rotimi only appeared for work at the embassy thrice a week and retired to Florida where he has a home, for the rest of the week. “How can he effectively run a key embassy like this,” the official queried.
Before the latest incident that led to Rotimi’s recall, Anyaoku it was gathered, tried to reconcile the two men shortly after Obama’s inauguration, but failed.
Rotimi was a former military governor of the old Western State from 1971 to 1975. He arrived Washington DC on 31st March 2008, and presented his Letters of Credence to the then President, George Bush at the White House, on April 9, 2008.
His sudden recall means that Nigeria will have to deal with the signals the incident would send to the international community, explained a diplomatic source.
One way to save face is to show that Nigeria is ready to revamp its foreign relations machinery and sharpen is focus on improving the effectiveness of the country’s foreign missions overseas, he said.


http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=135607

President Umaru Yar’Adua has appro-ved the immediate recall of Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, retired Brigadier-General Oluwole Rotimi, for “gross insubordination.”
Sources at the Nigerian embassy in Washington DC said the decision to recall Rotimi followed his running disagreement with the Foreign Affairs Minister, Ojo Maduekwe, over issues bordering on activities of the mission, policy, protocol and hierarchy.
The disagreement that was said to have started last year resulted in a series of correspondence between Maduekwe and Rotimi, culminating in a letter written by the latter in which he called the minister a tribalist and boasted, “I have dealt with people like you in the past. I was the Adjutant General of the Nigerian army that thoroughly defeated your ragtag Biafran army.”

Even though everybody knows ojo maduekwe is a fool why did this Rotimi bring up biafra issue here?

asha 80:

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Even though everybody knows ojo maduekwe is a fool why did this Rotimi bring up biafra issue here?

shows you the goats that most PDP people are. how can a diplomat at that level write that kind of thing on paper?

asha 80:

[/b]


Even though everybody knows ojo maduekwe is a fool why did this Rotimi bring up biafra issue here?

what makes him a fool.plz stop displaying your ignorance here. as for that tribalistic so called general he got what he deserved. that was totally unbecoming of a diplomat. what makes maduekwe a fool because its not business as usual?

While it was wrong for the diplomat to write as such (if indeed true), I do agree with him that igbos are very tribalistic.
Just look at Nairaland's osisi; there is no one on this forum more tribalistic than her.

I could go on and on

Run into a Nigerian anywhere in the world,he is more likely to be an Igbo man

It's just jealousy.

They are mad,we were not annihilated as Awo dreamt.

Awolowo is dead and rotted and the Igbo man has waxed stronger and stronger.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-7229.0.html#msg666169

I heard that those yoruba women sitting and selling in the market place also defecate in those containers they are sitting on and could be selling you things at the same time.

I heard that they are very dirty also.

I heard they borrow money to do all that owa mbe

that Yorubas are unreliable.

that they are all mouth and no action,remember Jegede Shokoya of masquerade

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-18580.32.html#msg541705

Osisi is always bringing up yoruba tribal marks as if yorubas are the only ones with tribal marks in Nigeria (and even africa)


https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-152416.0.html

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-160866.0.html

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-59913.0.html#msg1220984

osisi is a tribalist i must say.

From his comments and conduct,the former ambassador has left us no iota of doubt that he was on drugs while in the US.

Arnold it seems you are on a mission. Why must you bring Osisi's comment on every thread. Some Yorubas here and in Washington have said things more worst that whatever osisi has written here, why don't you post them here as well. You are even more worst than osisi so quite all these your nonsense links.

An Ambassador made such a comment and the only thing you could refer it to is osisi's post. Do you know why they are called DIPLOMATS? As a diplomat he is suppose to be diplomatic as far as running that office is concerned.

Arnold if you think/say all igbo's are tribalist because osisi made some valid comments what would you say about Raymond88's comments about igbo's?
anyways, lets not derail the thread.
most people dislike madueke including igbo's but Oluwole Rotimi's comments (if indeed true) are uncalled for and shows what a prick he is. Serves him right.
Sadly, he'll get another top job soon.

Nigerian diplomatic office holders should concentrate more on repairing the country's tarnished image rather than diving into mumbo jumbos!

I tire!!!

fromuk:

Arnold it seems you are on a mission. Why must you bring Osisi's comment on every thread. Some Yorubas here and in Washington have said things more worst that whatever osisi has written here, why don't you post them here as well. You are even more worst than osisi so quite all these your nonsense links.

An Ambassador made such a comment and the only thing you could refer it to is osisi's post. Do you know why they are called DIPLOMATS? As a diplomat he is suppose to be diplomatic as far as running that office is concerned.

OMO IBO:

Arnold if you think/say all igbo's are tribalist because osisi made some valid comments what would you say about Raymond88's comments about igbo's?

I am glad none of you have refuted the fact that osisi is a tribalist. Typical of igbos to embrace and defend a yoruba hater. shio.

They are all bunch of irresponsible people anyway.

Well, I guess the diplomat may be suffering from senile dementia.

This is more like what a small child would write down. Forgive him!

It is obvious Yar'adua is out to finish all yoruba politicians and the like. Earthmama said this and she was right.

Anyway, the statement by the ambassador was really uncalled for.

He is not a diplomat but a fucking down trodden nigerian soldier.If those that studied even international relations in the university can not make a difference,what can a fucking soldier do but give orders and loot the coffers as always,zombies.

I wonder why idiots are ruling us?with our population,level of so-called education and exposure,yet we agree to follow fools.

Even if the man has said those things it does not warrant him been recalled back home if is an housa man it will not be like that BABA GO SLOW remember it was Yoruba man that gave you power only to be sidetracking them God dey sha o.Rotimi should have been call to order.

fromuk:

Arnold it seems you are on a mission. Why must you bring Osisi's comment on every thread. Some Yorubas here and in Washington have said things more worst that whatever osisi has written here, why don't you post them here as well. You are even more worst  than osisi so quite all these your nonsense links.

An Ambassador made such a comment and the only thing you could refer it to is osisi's post. Do you know why they are called DIPLOMATS? As a diplomat he is suppose to be diplomatic as far as running that office is concerned.

thank you. there are more tribalists here than the lady. some people never miss an opportunity to give themselves and their tribe a bad name.

she has not commented here but her name is being mentioned. why was funmi and her lot not mentioned?

Even our diplomats can't act right.

The biafra comment was insensitive.

It is obvious Yar'adua is out to finish all yoruba politicians and the like. Earthmama said this and she was right.

Mrs.Tonim, these Yoruba politicians aren't feeding you. Were you born to support yoruba people even though they are WRONG?

Arnold1:

While it was wrong for the diplomat to write as such (if indeed true), I do agree with him that igbos are very tribalistic.
Just look at Nairaland's osisi; there is no one on this forum more tribalistic than her.

Men go sit your dumbass down.  Every tribe in Nigeria is tribalistic, so don't come here and try and paint the yorubas as Godly saints.

From his comments and conduct,the former ambassador has left us no iota of doubt that he was on drugs while in the US.

Digression into Yoruba vs Igbo. The Ambassador was out of line - speaking to your boss that way gets you the sack 9 times out of 10.  

He should be barred from holding any position with the government of Nigeria. Such blatant hatred for another tribe is completely UNACCEPTABLE.

Power trip between our Ogas is what we are witnessing. In most "CIVILIZED countries, Men in charge and their deputies sit together and discuss as equals, but not in Nigeria. Although Rotimi was out of line for bringing up the Biafra issue, I am very sure Maduekwe pushed quite a few of his buttons. Maybe, if both big fools had been humble we probably would not have heard any of these.

Is Osisi the new ambassador to the USA?

He should be barred from holding any position with the government of Nigeria. Such blatant hatred for another tribe is completely UNACCEPTABLE.

You can say that but there are so many closet tribalists in our govt parastatals today but nobody has sacked them yet.I guess we have to stick to lip service in order to pull through.


During Obasanjo's first 4 years as a dem. president, a female Yoruba senator made similar comments by calling igbos 'common traders that know nothing about politics', but she wasn't made to relinquish her position after that. All she did was apologize.


Will Yaradua do the same if this man is Hausa or Fulani?

thank you. there are more tribalists here than the lady. some people never miss an opportunity to give themselves and their tribe a bad name.

she has not commented here but her name is being mentioned. why was funmi and her lot not mentioned?

Can someone tell this Edo woman to leave me alone?. You people didn't have the same song when clamouring for a VC, it's Yoruba issue now and you guys suddenly remember there is something known as "decency,coexistence, equity and justice".

I've been wondering, Is Ojo Maduekwe half yoruba?. Why is his name half yoruba and half igbo?

OsunAmazon:

I've been wondering, Is Ojo Maduekwe half yoruba?. Why is his name half yoruba and half igbo?

Yeah his mum is from your village!

Bush woman

@osunamazon

igbos answer ojo too.

Yeah his mum is from your village!

Bush woman

Then how come he is very ugly?. He must have taken after his dad because we are not that ugly.

OsunAmazon:

Then how come he is very ugly?. He must have taken after his dad because we are not that ugly.

He may have taken it from your village, have u forgotten you are fugly!