The End.

Recall: Correspondence with Maduekwe Distorted, Says Rotimi
By Bunmi Oni, 02.19.2009

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Recalled Nigeria Ambassador to the United States, Brig. Gen. Oluwole Rotimi (rtd), has said the account given by Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe of the correspondence between him and the minister where he allegedly referred to Maduekwe as a tribalist is inaccurate.
He also said the reference to the defeat of Biafra in the correspondence was completely out of context.
Rotimi reacted for the first time on the altercation between him and the minister, for which President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua approved his recall home, in a statement he posted on the website.
The ambassador said he had no intention to cast any aspersion on any ethnic community in Nigeria, having worked and continue to work for the unity of the country.
President Yar’Adua had approved Rotimi’s recall for “gross insubordination.”
Rotimi’s recall had stemmed from his running disagreement with 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 allegedly called the minister a tribalist.
He also reportedly 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, had formally complained to the President in a memo attaching Rotimi’s letter.
Maduekwe had in the 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.”
Three days ago, the amabassador was given 44 days, around end of March, to return to Nigeria.
Rotimi’s statement entitled, “Ambassador Oluwole Rotimi Statement” read: “I wish to acknowledge receipt of the message of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs conveying the directive of His Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Umar Musa YarAdua, (GCFR) recalling me as his principal representative in the United States of America. I will dutifully comply with this order.
“However, I wish to also seize this opportunity to correct some misconception and distortion attributed to the Honorable Minister Chief Ojo Maduekwe by the media.
“The little snippet of information released to the press stating that in the exchange of correspondence between us, I called him a tribalist is inaccurate. In addition, the reference to the defeat of "Biafra" was completely taken out of context.
“Moreover, I would like to assure all patriotic Nigerians that I have no intention to cast any aspersion on any ethnic community in Nigeria. I have always believed in and worked for and will continue to work for the unity of Nigeria even when I am not in the public service.
“I have had the privilege and honor to serve under distinguished and gallant senior officers of different ethnic backgrounds in my service to the Nigerian Army. In addition, the God Almighty has blessed me with children whose mother is half Igbo and half Yoruba.
“Finally, let me state with all my heart that this distortion is deeply regretted and I honestly apologize to anyone who has felt slighted in any form.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”


http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=136112

Austincrow:

Recall: Correspondence with Maduekwe Distorted, Says Rotimi
By Bunmi Oni, 02.19.2009

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Recalled Nigeria Ambassador to the United States, Brig. Gen. Oluwole Rotimi (rtd), has said the account given by Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe of the correspondence between him and the minister where he allegedly referred to Maduekwe as a tribalist is inaccurate.
He also said the reference to the defeat of Biafra in the correspondence was completely out of context.
Rotimi reacted for the first time on the altercation between him and the minister, for which President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua approved his recall home, in a statement he posted on the website.
The ambassador said he had no intention to cast any aspersion on any ethnic community in Nigeria, having worked and continue to work for the unity of the country.
President Yar’Adua had approved Rotimi’s recall for “gross insubordination.”
Rotimi’s recall had stemmed from his running disagreement with 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 allegedly called the minister a tribalist.
He also reportedly 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, had formally complained to the President in a memo attaching Rotimi’s letter.
Maduekwe had in the 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.”
Three days ago, the amabassador was given 44 days, around end of March, to return to Nigeria.
Rotimi’s statement entitled, “Ambassador Oluwole Rotimi Statement” read: “I wish to acknowledge receipt of the message of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs conveying the directive of His Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Umar Musa YarAdua, (GCFR) recalling me as his principal representative in the United States of America. I will dutifully comply with this order.
“However, I wish to also seize this opportunity to correct some misconception and distortion attributed to the Honorable Minister Chief Ojo Maduekwe by the media.
“The little snippet of information released to the press stating that in the exchange of correspondence between us, I called him a tribalist is inaccurate. In addition, the reference to the defeat of "Biafra" was completely taken out of context.
“Moreover, I would like to assure all patriotic Nigerians that I have no intention to cast any aspersion on any ethnic community in Nigeria. I have always believed in and worked for and will continue to work for the unity of Nigeria even when I am not in the public service.
“I have had the privilege and honor to serve under distinguished and gallant senior officers of different ethnic backgrounds in my service to the Nigerian Army. In addition, the God Almighty has blessed me with children whose mother is half Igbo and half Yoruba.
“Finally, let me state with all my heart that this distortion is deeply regretted and I honestly apologize to anyone who has felt slighted in any form.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”


http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=136112

Well he only said he was quoted out of context. May be he should have told us what he said exactly. And why apologise for what he did not do?
Sahara reporters version . . .hmmmm

Ambassador Oluwole Rotimi, from his station in Washington, toys with historical sore points
The Horizon By Kayode Komolafe, Email:kayodekomolafe@thisdayonline.com, 02.18.2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009

It is pertinent for the nation’s collective psyche to view the recall of Ambassador Oluwole Rotimi from his station in Washington beyond a diplomatic routine. He has been asked to return home latest in 43 days time. But should that be the end of the matter ? We do not think so because of what Rotimi’s missteps could do to national sensibility.

Rotimi reportedly told the Foreign Minister, Chief Ojo Madueke, that "I have dealt with people like you in the past. I was the Adjutant General of the Nigerian Army that thoroughly defeated your rag-tag Biafran army". The ambassador accused the minister of ethnic chauvinism. Indeed, Rotimi was making reference to the tragic civil war that was fought for 30 months with the Nigerian federal forces and the forces of the defunct Republic of Biafra as the “enemies” on both sides. The Republic of Biafra was declared in the old Eastern Region in which the Igbo were the major ethic group. Rotimi, a Yoruba and a graduate of the University of London, retired from the Nigerian army as a Brigadier –General. He was military governor of the old Western State comprising today’s Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states. Madueke is Igbo and a lawyer and a politician, who incidentally was in the Biafran army as a young man.

It is little surprise that since the report of the unfortunate statement made by Rotimi another civil war had virtually broken out on the internet in the various discussion forums on Nigerian affairs. As it is typical of any Nigerian affair, quite a number of Igbo elements in the Diaspora have angrily been taking up issues with their Yoruba compatriots, some of whom illogically think they have reasons to rational Rotimi’s grave statement. Incidentally, quite a number of these internet warriors (as Professor Pat Utomi referred to them sometime ago), are so immature and uniformed about the Nigerian history and reality. For instance, the arguments assumed an absurd level when in trying to prove that Rotimi’s faux pax is in the pattern of the Yoruba perfidy against the Igbo, a contributor wrote that Obafemi Awolowo allegedly collected some money from Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa during the civil war to plot against the Igbo. Meanwhile the civil war broke out in 1967 and Bello and Balewa were killed in another tragic circumstance on January 15, 1966 at a time Awolowo was in Calabar prison. The manner of the discussion of the issues by some young Nigerians is another indication of the levity with which the history of the nation is being treated.

The matter is made worse when those who are expected to show leadership choose to talk or act without any historical sense of purpose as Gen Rotimi has done. Rotimi’s irresponsible statement ought to be severely deprecated; but the response to him should be mature while putting the issues in the correct historical perspective. Every nation has sore points of its history. The civil war is one of the sore points of the Nigerian history. A man who has risen to the posts of a general in the army, governor of a huge state and ambassador in Washington ought to view that historical conjuncture with a greater sobriety. The civil war should not be an issue for any one to gloat about even in a fit of anger. In any case, is it not said that when even others are loosing their heads, a man with a diplomatic brief ought to keep his own? There can never be any justification for the reckless statement made by Rotimi who is expected to act diplomatically even in a war situation. Here was a man representing Nigeria in a very important mission harbouring so much darkness in his heart against his fellow countrymen. As ambassador, this gentleman’s job is to protect the interest of all Nigerians resident in the United States, a good number of who are of Igbo extraction. How does he now convince those Nigerians of Igbo origin in the United States that he ever had their interest at heart in the spirit of his oath of office? How could this septuagenarian be so insensitive to the mood of his nation as its representative in a foreign land ? A symbol of the nation’s sovereignty in another land is boasting of vanquishing fellow Nigerians in a tragic war ! It is simply unpardonable.

With his impeccable background, Rotimi ought to have a better grasp of the issues involved in the war and the progress Nigeria has since made towards national integration. As a retired officer of the Nigerian army Rotimi ought to remember that his Commander-in-Chief during the war, General Yakubu Gowon, made a “no victor, no vanquished declaration” as the first step in peace building. The nation then embarked on a triple programme of “reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation”. As Head of State and Commander-in-Chief Gowon made it clear even at the height of hostilities, that the war was that of unity and not a war of conquest. Thank God, Gowon did not have the sort of dark mind of his junior colleague, Rotimi. Otherwise, the course of history could have been different. Pray, what is the basis of this resurgent swagger of Rotimi about the war? And to serve which purpose? Why should he take pleasure in rubbing salt into injuries? One account of the war put it that over a million lives were lost on both sides during the crisis. While nation-building remains a work in progress for Nigeria, no one can deny some visible achievements in national integration. Nine years after the sounds of guns went silent, an Igbo, Alex Ekwueme, was elected the Vice-President of the Federal Republic. Since the war, officers of Igbo origin have since risen to the ranks of Generals of the same Nigerian army about which Rotimi is boasting. In fewer than 20 years after the war, Major-General Ike Nwachukwu, an Igbo, was the General Officer Commanding the 1st Mechanised Division. Another Igbo, Admiral Allison Madueke has commanded the Navy. There have been officers of the armed forces of Igbo extraction in charge of important commands. That is how far the story of integration has gone. War-torn countries have been advised to learn from the exemplary post-war integration and reconciliation in Nigeria. Why is Rotimi’s mentality still trapped in the sordid past? Who will liberate him from this prison of history that his mind has put him? Let no one rationalise that his behaviour was due to his military background. Nwachukwu, cited above, showed as foreign minister that a soldier could be a fine diplomat with an urbane demeanour. In any case, there is nothing that justifies a soldier making unpolished statements.

All told, Rotimi has not only cast aspersion on the person and office of Madueke because he is Igbo, he has indeed egregiously assaulted the nation’s collective sensibility. As the ambassador in Washington, he has every right to protest on matters relating to his assignment, but he certainly has no right to toy with the nation’s historical sore points. That is why whenever he returns home he must be made to apologise publicly to a nation whose assignment he has so badly handled. At his age, we hope no one would dare give him another diplomatic assignment, so it is pointless advising him on how to control his temperament in the future.

agaba123:

Well he only said he was quoted out of context.

Since he claimed to have bn quoted out of context,
it should dawn on him dat he has been recalled into context

A whole ambassador can make sensitive statements,wonders shall never end

Kx:

Since he claimed to have bn quoted out of context,
it should dawn on him dat he has been recalled into context

A whole ambassador can make sensitive statements,wonders shall never end

Funny!
The whole ambassador prolly has a hole in his head

comfort3:
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

Hmmm. God forbid bad thing, what a nation