NASS Should Outrightly Reject Reno Omokri’s Ambassadorial Appointment – Ejiofor, Social Critic

By Chuks Eke—

Social critic, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has urged the National Assembly to outrightly reject President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of Reno Omokri as an Ambassadorial designate, citing his alleged unforgivable malfeasance and lack of qualification for the role.

In a press statement issued on Monday, titled: “The Diplomatic Misadventure of Reno Omokri: Why the Senate Must Save Nigeria from a Historical Error-in-Progress,” Ejiofor suggested that if the presidency desires to appoint Omokri to a public role, a position as another presidential spokesperson would be more suitable, given his “flair for noise and notoriety.”

According to Ejiofor, “As for diplomacy, a man who has diminished, ridiculed, and insulted a major component of the Nigerian federation cannot represent Nigeria with credibility. The Senate must correct this historical error before it matures into a national embarrassment.”

He elaborated, “In the grand tapestry of Nigerian political theatre, one has become almost accustomed to periodic absurdities. Yet, every so often, a proposal emerges so profoundly unwise, so magnificently unserious, that it demands immediate intellectual quarantine.

The recent nomination of Mr. Reno Omokri as Ambassador-Designate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is one such bewildering episode; a moment where one must wonder if someone within the corridors of power mischievously swapped statesmanship for slapstick.”

Ejiofor continued, “It is, of course, customary for Presidents to rely on trusted advisers when composing their list of nominees. But whoever whispered Reno Omokri’s name into the presidential ear deserves a national reprimand, or at the very least, mandatory retirement into quiet contemplation. No wonder, the name of a dead nominee has been uncovered amongst the list.”

“However, to recommend this particular ‘gentleman’ for an exalted diplomatic portfolio is to imperil not merely the image of Mr. President, but the collective dignity of the Nigerian people.”

“For years, Reno’s social media activities have been a masterclass in unrestrained vituperation. His digital tantrums, served daily across X, Facebook, and Instagram, along with his ever-expanding sermon-on-the-timeline broadcasts, have been so riotously reckless that many discerning observers have questioned whether his devices should come pre-installed with psychiatric safeguards.”

“Indeed, those who once innocently patronized his pages have quietly tiptoed away, citing mental fatigue and the unmistakable possibility that Reno may be nursing a peculiar species of psychological agitation.”

Ejiofor stated plainly, “I will not venture into the unprintable names he flung at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his days of Twitter evangelism.

“If the Commander-in-Chief was truly troubled by defamatory thunderings, Daniel Bwala would be giving press statements from a safe distance, not from inside Aso Rock. Nigerians who possess memory longer than a goldfish still wonder what precise value Bwala imports into governance after years of performing verbal gymnastics against the very administration he now serenades.”

“However, it is Reno’s relentless, malignant crusade against the Igbo nation that deserves the strongest spotlight. In the long history of ethnic stereotyping in Nigeria, rarely has one man laboured so enthusiastically to malign a whole people. At every opportunity, Reno unleashed a torrent of insults, mockery, and denigration upon Ndigbo, assigning them labels too vulgar for refined company.”

“He publicly championed the absurd narrative that Igbo people are unworthy contributors to Nigerian society, routinely painting them as criminals, invaders, and economic parasites. He amplified toxic calls for Igbos to ‘leave Lagos,’ a city built, inhabited, and enriched by all Nigerians, including Ndigbo. His digital fingerprints remain all over this hateful and divisive propaganda; the archives of social media do not forget.”

“And now, this same man seeks to sit in diplomatic chambers bearing the Nigerian flag? Before the Senate proceeds to screening, it must ask Reno how he intends to reconcile the contemptuous bile he poured upon the very institution, leadership, and ethnic nationalities he now aspires to represent. How will he explain the loud, choreographed protests he orchestrated in the United States and the United Kingdom against President Tinubu, complete with placards, chants, and laptops live-streaming Nigeria’s ‘failings’ to the world?”

“How does a man who gleefully de-marketed his own country now solemnly pledge to defend that same country’s global image? This, dear distinguished senators, is not a paradox; it is a political insult.”

“For the avoidance of doubt: Reno Omokri cannot be entrusted with any diplomatic office in a country whose citizens he has serially abused, particularly the Igbo nation, a foundational pillar of Nigeria’s political, cultural, commercial, and intellectual fabric.”

“And let it be stated with clarity that history will not be kind to any senator of Igbo extraction who raises a hand, whether in carelessness or cowardice, to confirm Reno’s appointment. If the Presidency chooses to overlook Reno’s unforgivable malfeasance, Ndigbo will not be so indulgent. The memory of a slight against a people is often longer than the tenure of the government that enabled it.”