Jonathan suspends Foreign Affairs Perm Sec

The source told State House journalists that Sheni was suspended for embarrassing the president over the South Africa’s xenophobia saga.Sheni was said to have recalled the Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa Martin Cobham and his deputy, Uche Ajulu-Okeke without clearing it with the President.Mr. Sheni was queried and placed on suspension Monday. He could […]

The source told State House journalists that Sheni was suspended for embarrassing the president over the South Africa’s xenophobia saga.
Sheni was said to have recalled the Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa Martin Cobham and his deputy, Uche Ajulu-Okeke without clearing it with the President.
Mr. Sheni was queried and placed on suspension Monday. He could face further disciplinary action at the end of an ongoing investigation, the source said.
He said Jonathan was angry that the permanent secretary issued a statement inviting the Nigerian envoys to South Africa for consultation.
He said that action had been interpreted to mean a recall.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, said the president was grossly embarrassed by the outrage that trailed the matter.
He said the Presidency felt that, “In this age of diplomatic dispatches, you don’t need to recall or invite any envoy before you ask questions”.
The source said Jonathan would have sacked the Minister of Foreign Affairs Aminu Wali, but he was spared because the tenure of the administration would end in a month’s time.
He said Jonathan was angry that in less than two months Wali and Sheni had embarrassed the federal government.
“The president said they messed him up on Morocco’s issue and they also messed him up on this one … they will not go away with this one.
“The minister himself would have been fired if not because we have just one month to go.
“They were issuing statements without the president’s approval. The president was not informed and he was not in the picture”, the source said.
Last month, Morocco recalled its ambassador from Nigeria, accusing President Goodluck Jonathan’s government of trying to use King Mohammed VI in an election campaign.
Nigerian government officials claimed  President Jonathan had spoken by phone with the monarch.
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Abuja at the time said the information was not correct as Mr. Jonathan did in fact speak to the Moroccan Monarch over the phone.
“Since the King was in France, and not in Morocco, both leaders spoke extensively over the phone on matters of mutual interest and concern that have nothing to do with the conduct of the re-schedule elections in Nigeria.
“It is therefore preposterous to suggest that Mr. President’s telephone call to the Moroccan Monarch was intended to confer any electoral advantage on the president,” the statement said.
However, Morocco’s foreign ministry responded by saying it wanted to state in the “clearest and strongest terms” that “there has never been a phone conversation” between the two leaders.
“The king has actually declined the request of the Nigerian government because it is part of the internal electioneering,” Morocco’s Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) news agency quoted the statement as saying.
“The kingdom of Morocco expresses its astonishment and denunciation to these unethical practices that are contrary to the spirit of responsibility that must prevail in relations between states.”
“As a consequence Morocco’s Abuja ambassador was being recalled immediately for consultations,” it said.
Also, the King’s Office said that “Morocco is surprised at the incredible twist given by Nigeria to an alleged phone conversation that never took place between HM King Mohammed VI and the Nigerian President.
“The King’s Office categorically denies the false allegations made by Nigerian authorities about an alleged phone conversation between the Sovereign and Nigerian President,” the statement added.