IN a move intended to secure more influence for member-states which contribute troops for peacekeeping missions of the United Nations (UN), Nigeria is now arguing for more appointments at the senior management cadre for its nationals and those of other countries involved.
Going by a statement issued by the Nigerian mission to the UN last week, the country’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the world body, Ambassador Felix A. Aniokoye, is at the forefront of that quest, especially as he is now the chairman of the General Assembly Special Committee on Peacekeeping, the position is traditionally reserved for Nigeria in recognition of her significant contribution of troops to UN peacekeeping missions.
Dr. Aniokoye assumed the leadership of the UN Special Committee, which resumed its 2008 substantive session on Monday last week.
According to the statement, Nigeria “called the attention of the world body to the under-representation of troop-contributing countries in the senior management cadre in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.”
Nigeria is asking for “a review of the lopsided staff structure in the Department with the objective of identifying and recruiting competent hands for top positions from troop-contributing countries.”
Before the re-election of Aniokoye last week, there has been concern about the delay of the Federal Government in sending a new Permanent Representative (PR) to the UN. But Aniokoye, a full ranked envoy and career diplomat, explained to The Guardian that Nigeria would not lose anything because of the absence of a PR. He assured that the nation’s mission to the UN was up to the task as it has full-fledged career diplomats of the finest mettle.
According to him Nigeria has always had a tradition of appointing at least two full-ambassadors to the UN and Washington, DC, one being a career diplomat and the other normally a non-career official like a politician. But the non-career diplomats usually heads the mission.
Indeed, at the Nigerian mission to the UN currently, there are several career diplomats of ambassadorial grades besides the substantive PR who is still being awaited. While Aniokoye has been named as a full Ambassador to the UN as Deputy PR, there are others like Ambassadors Bukun Onemola, Lawrence Akindele, Lawrence Obisakin and Bature Lawal, all the four are of Level 16 deputy director rank in the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Onemola is also believed to have been formally named as a full ambassador to the UN.
However Nigeria’s substantive PR/Ambassador to the UN is still being awaited.
When the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping resumed its session, Nigeria was re-elected to the chairmanship slot by the acclamation of the other members of the panel. It signified the continuation of the traditional appointment of head of Nigeria’s permanent mission to the UN as the leader of the committee.
There are more than 100 UN member nations in the committee that includes all countries that normally contribute troops to the world body. But the UN is normally referred to as the C-34, because it was initially formed by 34 member-nations.
Although Aniokoye is not the Permanent Representative, as the Deputy PR and currently Charge d’ Affairs at the Nigerian mission to the UN, he will be occupying the position of Chairman of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping until a substantial one is posted by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
After Nigeria was acclaimed to head it, the vice chairmanship slot of the committee went to Argentina, Canada, Japan and Poland, while Egypt was elected as Rapporteur.
Meanwhile, in what is seen as a model of international peacekeepers’ extra effort and commitment to the mission of the UN, Nigerian soldiers in Liberia under the auspices of the world body have donated a technical training workshop to their host country.
Although their role is basically to keep the peace, the effort of the Nigerian soldiers to donate the workshop is far beyond the call of duty and is receiving commendation at the UN.
Quoting a statement by the world body, the UN Mission in Liberia, (UNMIL) received the workshop from the Nigerian soldiers earlier this month at an event near the country’s capital, Monrovia.
According to the statement, the Nigerian peacekeeping unit of UNMIL handed over an electrical technicians training workshop which the soldiers put together and established through their own expertise and financial contribution.
The workshop is also seen as an expression of their additional commitment to the resettlement of the Liberian people who have been engaged in a long war that saw several Nigerian soldiers serving and laying down their lives under ECOMOG. The UNMIL arm, which initiated and implemented the gesture, is known as the Nigerian Signal-Six (NISIG-6) unit.
The Nigerian Commander of Sector One of UNMIL, Brigadier General Olayemi Abidoye, said the contributions of the NISIG-6 unit honour the memory of soldiers who lost their lives during the peacekeeping operations of the West African regional forces in Liberia.
The Nigerian unit, which maintains communications between UNMIL Force and Sector headquarters, employs a wide-range of advanced equipment and skilled manpower, according to the UN.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon through his Special Representative in Liberia, Ellen Margrethe praised the Nigerian soldiers for identifying the need for the workshop and then personally funding it. The workshop has been handed over by the UN to the Catholic Church’s Don Bosco Youth Centre in Liberia.
The UN Special Representative observed that “We need these kind of skills that can be implemented with little capital to set up small ventures and business activities”, while underscoring the importance of vocational and technical training for Liberian youth in assisting them to become productive members of society following the country’s brutal 15-year civil war.
The UN also urged the people of Liberia to assume ownership of the project and use it to respond to their country’s urgent need for skilled and qualified personnel in the area of electrical maintenance.