BREAKING: Jimoh Ibrahim Lands In Big Trouble Over Diplomatic Appointment
Over 100 civil society organisations have jointly called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to review the appointment of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, citing concerns grounded in public records and ongoing legal proceedings.
In an open letter addressed to the President and the UN Secretary-General, the coalition of advocacy groups and NGOs emphasised that the Permanent Mission represents “the sovereign voice of over 220 million Nigerians within the multilateral system,” and its credibility is “directly linked to the integrity, legal standing, and public record of its representative.”
The 106 signatories highlighted ongoing financial and legal issues tied to Senator Ibrahim’s business activities, including unpaid salaries to over 300 former employees of NICON Airways since May 2007.
They noted that the National Industrial Court awarded N1.5 billion in 2013 (Suit No. NICON/LA/192/2011), a judgment upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2017 (Suit No. NICN/ABJ/280/M/2014), and that salary arrears and pension obligations remain outstanding in proceedings before the Federal High Court, Lagos (Suit No. FHL/L/CL/776/2016).
The letter further stated: “The Federal Inland Revenue Service, now the Nigeria Revenue Service, filed a 10-count charge before the Federal High Court, Abuja, concerning alleged tax liabilities linked to Air Nigeria. These proceedings remain before the court.”Nigerian government news
While the National Assembly previously cleared Senator Ibrahim of personal wrongdoing in relation to aviation intervention funds, the civil society groups argued that “the status of recovery of public funds remains part of the public record and policy concern.”
The letter stressed the broader implications of such appointments, saying, “Diplomatic appointments are instruments of state. They signal a country’s commitment to the rule of law, institutional integrity, and governance standards.
“Publicly documented legal and financial matters may attract scrutiny and raise questions about consistency in the application of domestic laws and standards.”
The coalition also referenced Nigeria’s governance frameworks, including the National Ethics and Integrity Policy and the National Values Charter, which emphasize “integrity, accountability, transparency, and personal responsibility in public service.”
They requested a thorough review of the appointment and called for “public clarification from relevant authorities on the status of ongoing cases and enforcement actions, including matters before the Federal High Court and recovery processes involving public institutions.”
The letter also urged clarity on vetting standards for senior diplomatic appointments, stating: “Assurance that appointments to positions of international representation are consistent with Nigeria’s stated commitments to the rule of law and institutional accountability.”
“This issue extends beyond a single appointment. It concerns the coherence between Nigeria’s legal processes, its governance frameworks, and the standards applied in public service,” the groups said.
“Nigeria’s credibility, both domestically and internationally, is strengthened when institutions demonstrate consistency, transparency, and adherence to due process.”
The open letter was signed by the following organisations:
1. Accountability Lab Nigeria
2. Above Whispers Media Foundation
3. Adegrange Child Foundation
4. Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF)
5. Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI)
6. African Girl Child Development and Support initiative
7. Agape Women Initiative for Sustainable
8. BUDGIT Foundation
9. Development (AWISD)
10. Digicivic Initiative
11. Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation
12. Alliances for Africa
13. Almanah Hope Foundation
14. Aspilos Charity and Development Foundation
15. Association for the Restoration of the Dignity of Womanhood (ROTDOW)
16. Association Of Nigerian Women Business Network (ANWIN)
17. ASVIOL Support Initiative
18. Attah Sisters Helping Hand Foundation (ASHH Foundation)
19. Centre for Democracy & Development (CDD)
20. Cedar Seed Foundation
21. Centre for Non Violence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria (CENGAIN)
22. Centre For Study And Resolution of Domestic Violence
23. Child Dignity Foundation (CDF)
24. Child Rights Protection Initiative
25. Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment in Nigerian
26. Society (CWEENS)
27. Citizens Center for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR)
28. Clean Tech Hub
29. CLEEN Foundation
30. Community Life Project (CLP)
31. Community Partners for Development (CPD)
32. Connecting Gender for Development (COGEN)
33. Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA)
34. Cyrus R Vance Center for International Justice
35. Doctors Health Initiative
36. Dorothy Njemanze Foundation
37. Enough is Enough (EIE) Nigeria
38. Equality Through Education Foundation (ETEF)
39. FACICP Disability Plus
40. Faith Alive Vulnerable Foundation (FAVF) FAME Foundation
41. Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN)
42. Foram of Nigerian Women In Politics (FONWIP)
43. Friends of the Environment
44. Gender and Development Action (GADA)
45. Gender Development Initiative
46. Gender Equality, Peace and Development Centre
47. Girls’ Power Initiative (CPI)
48. Global Health Awareness Research Foundation (GHARF)
49. Global Hope for Women and Children Foundation (GLOHWOC)
50. Habiba Dangana (Hadis) Foundation ngana (Hadis)
51. HEIR Women Development
52. Heptuibah Initiative
53. Hope Behind Bars Africa
54. Iluminate Nigeria Development Network (ONDN)
55. Initiative for Women and Girls Right Advancement (IWOGRA)
56. Kungiyar Tallafin Mata Development Initiative
57. League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV)
58. Smallscale Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON)
59. Media & Teens Network
60. Media Concern Initiative (MediaCon)
61. Mother of Good Counsel Initiative (MOGCI)
62. National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ)
63. NECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women
64. Network of Reproductive Health Journalists of Nigeria
65. Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF)
66. Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF)
67. Ovie Brume Foundation
68. Peace Heritage Foundation
69. Proactive Gender Initiatives
70. Project Alert on Violence Against Women
71. Researchers Without Borders
72. Responsible Citizenship and Human Development initiative
73. Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative aka Partners West
74. Africa Nigeria (PWAN)
75. Sexual Offences Awareness & Response Initiative
76. She Forum Africa
77. SheForShe Africa Initiative
78. Shout Global Health
79. South-South Professional Women Association
80. Spaces for Change
81. Tari Oba International Foundation
82. TechHerNG
83. The Cece Yara Foundation
84. The Women News
85. Tonia Bruised But Not Broken Rape Survivors Foundation
86. Virgin Heart Foundation
87. Voice of Women and Children Initiative (VOWCI), Zamfara
88. Wash Mata Initiatives
89. Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC)
90. Women Arise Development and Humanitarian initiative
91. Women Empowerment Education and Peace Building
92. Initiative (WEPBI)
93. Women Environmental Programme
94. Women for Peace and Gender Equality Initiative
95. Women in Extractives
96. Women in Management, Business & Public Service (WIMBIZ)
97. Women in Mining Nigeria
98. Women in Politics Forum
99. Women Information Network (WINET)
100. Women Radio 91.7
101. Women’s Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON)
102. Women’s Rights and Health Project
103. Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL)
104. Women’s Crisis Centre Owerri
105. Women’s Right to Education Programme
106. Yiaga Africa
