REQUEST FOR REVIEW OF THE APPOINTMENT OF SENATOR JIMOH IBRAHIM AS PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED NATIONS IN LIGHT OF PUBLIC RECORD

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AND THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

REQUEST FOR REVIEW OF THE APPOINTMENT OF SENATOR JIMOH IBRAHIM AS PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED NATIONS IN LIGHT OF PUBLIC RECORD

Your Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR,
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;

Your Excellency, Mr. António Guterres,
Secretary-General of the United Nations.

THE APPOINTMENT AND ITS STAKES

We, the undersigned civil society organisations, including members of Womanifesto and individuals write on the public record in the exercise of our constitutional responsibility to promote accountability, uphold the rule of law, and protect the integrity of public institutions on behalf of Nigerian citizens.

The nomination of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations is a matter of significant national and international consequence. The Permanent Mission is the sovereign voice of over 220 million Nigerians within the multilateral system. Its credibility is directly linked to the integrity, legal standing, and public record of its representative.

The concerns raised in this letter are grounded in publicly accessible court judgments, ongoing legal proceedings, and documented regulatory actions within Nigeria’s judicial and institutional framework. These are matters of record.

MATTERS OF PUBLIC RECORD

1. In proceedings before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (Suit No. NICON/LA/192/2011), judgments relating to unpaid employee obligations involving NICON Airways were issued in 2013 and upheld on appeal in 2017. Public reporting and filings indicate that enforcement and settlement issues remain a matter of concern to affected parties;
2. In filings before the Federal High Court, Lagos (Suit No. FHL/L/CL/776/2016), the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria referenced debt recovery actions associated with corporate entities linked to Senator Ibrahim, with amounts reported in court processes. Subsequent appellate proceedings were dismissed in 2021, while recovery efforts have been described in public disclosures as ongoing;
3. The Federal Inland Revenue Service, now Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), initiated proceedings before the Federal High Court, Abuja, relating to alleged tax liabilities connected to Air Nigeria. These matters remain before the court;
4. Legislative oversight processes of the Nigerian National Assembly have also reviewed aspects of aviation intervention funds. While a Senate Committee cleared Senator Ibrahim of personal wrongdoing in that context, questions regarding the broader recovery of public funds remain part of policy discussions and public record.

These issues remain active within Nigeria’s legal and institutional processes.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC OFFICE AND INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION

Diplomatic appointments are instruments of state. They signal a country’s commitment to the rule of law, institutional integrity, and governance standards.

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative engages with governments, multilateral institutions, and the global public. In that context, publicly documented legal and financial matters may attract scrutiny and raise questions about consistency in the application of domestic laws and standards.

There are also domestic implications. Citizens directly affected by unresolved court judgments, including workers and taxpayers, may reasonably question the effectiveness of legal remedies where such issues remain outstanding alongside high-level public appointments.

ALIGNMENT WITH NATIONAL POLICY FRAMEWORKS

Nigeria has adopted the National Ethics and Integrity Policy and the National Values Charter, which emphasise integrity, accountability, transparency, and personal responsibility in public service.

These frameworks apply across all levels of government. Diplomatic representatives, by virtue of their role, are expected to reflect these standards in both conduct and record. Any perceived divergence between policy commitments and public appointments may affect the credibility of these frameworks.

REQUEST FOR REVIEW AND INSTITUTIONAL CLARIFICATION

In light of the above, we respectfully request:

1. A review of the appointment, with due consideration of existing legal proceedings, court judgments, and financial obligations on record;
2. 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;
3. Clarity on the standards and due diligence processes applied in vetting senior diplomatic appointments, particularly in relation to legal, financial, and ethical considerations;
4. Assurance that appointments to positions of international representation are consistent with Nigeria’s stated commitments to the rule of law and institutional accountability.

We also respectfully draw the attention of the United Nations Secretariat to the importance of due diligence in accreditation processes, in line with established standards for international representation.

CONCLUSION

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.

Nigeria’s credibility, both domestically and internationally, is strengthened when institutions demonstrate consistency, transparency, and adherence to due process. Upholding these principles in high-level appointments is essential to maintaining public trust and international confidence.

We submit this letter in good faith and in the interest of strengthening institutional integrity and governance outcomes.

SIGNED:

• Accountability Lab Nigeria

• Above Whispers Media Foundation 

• Adegrange Child Foundation 

• Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF)

• Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI)

• African Girl Child Development and Support Initiative 

• Agape Women Initiative for Sustainable 

• BUDGiT Foundation 

• Development (AWISD)

• Digicivic Initiative 

• Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation 

• Alliances for Africa

• Almanah Hope Foundation

• Aspilos Charity and Development Foundation 

• Association for the Restoration of the Dignity of Womanhood (ROTDOW)

• Association Of Nigerian Women Business Network (ANWBN)

• ASVIOL Support Initiative

• Attah Sisters Helping Hand Foundation (ASHH Foundation) 

• Centre for Democracy & Development (CDD)

• Cedar Seed Foundation

• Centre for Non Violence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria (CENGAIN)

• Centre For Study And Resolution of Domestic Violence

• Child Dignity Foundation (CDF)

• Child Rights Protection Initiative 

• Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment in Nigerian Society (CWEENS)

• Citizens Center for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR)

• Clean Tech Hub

• CLEEN Foundation 

• Community Life Project (CLP)

• Community Partners for Development (CPD)

• Connecting Gender for Development (COGEN)

• Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA)

• Cyrus R Vance Center for International Justice 

• Doctors Health Initiative 

• Dorothy Njemanze Foundation 

• Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria

• Equality Through Education Foundation (ETEF)

• FACICP Disability Plus

• Faith Alive Vulnerable Foundation (FAVF)

• FAME Foundation 

• Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN)

• Forum of Nigerian Women In Politics (FONWIP)

• Friends of the Environment

• Gender and Development Action (GADA)

• Gender Development Initiative 

• Gender Equality, Peace and Development Centre

• Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI)

• Global Health Awareness Research Foundation (GHARF)

• Global Hope for Women and Children Foundation (GLOHWOC) 

• Habiba Dangana (Hadis) Foundation

• HEIR Women Development 

• Hephzibah Initiative 

• Hope Behind Bars Africa 

• Illuminate Nigeria Development Network (INDN) 

• Initiative for Women and Girls Right Advancement (IWOGRA)

• Kungiyar Tallafin Mata Development Initiative 

• League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV)

• Smallscale Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON)

• Media & Teens Network

• Media Concern Initiative (MediaCon)

• Mother of Good Counsel Initiative (MOGCI)

• National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) 

• NECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women

• Network of Reproductive Health Journalists of Nigeria

• Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF)

• Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF)

• Ovie Brume Foundation 

• Peace Heritage Foundation 

• Proactive Gender Initiatives

• Project Alert on Violence Against Women 

• Researchers Without Borders

• Responsible Citizenship and Human Development Initiative

• Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative aka Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN)

• Sexual Offences Awareness & Response Initiative

• She Forum Africa 

• SheForShe Africa Initiative

• Shout Global Health 

• South – South Professional Women Association

• Spaces for Change 

• Tari Oba International Foundation 

• TechHerNG 

• The Cece Yara Foundation

• The Women News

• Tonia Bruised But Not Broken Rape Survivors Foundation 

• Virgin Heart Foundation 

• Voice of Women and Children Initiative (VOWCI), Zamfara 

• Wash Mata Initiatives 

• Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC)

• Women Arise Development and Humanitarian Initiative 

• Women Empowerment Education and Peace Building Initiative (WEPBI )

• Women Environmental Programme 

• Women for Peace and Gender Equality Initiative

• Women in Extractives 

• Women in Management, Business & Public Service (WIMBIZ)

• Women in Mining Nigeria

• Women In Politics Forum 

• Women Information Network (WINET)

• Women Radio 91.7 

• Women’s Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON)

• Women’s Rights and Health Project 

• Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL)

• Women’s Crisis Centre Owerri 

• Women’s Right to Education Programme

• Yiaga Africa

NOTE ON SOURCES

This letter is based on publicly accessible court records, legislative proceedings, and official institutional communications within Nigeria. It is issued in the public interest. We also understand the cases are still pending and Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim is presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, we believe these matters warrant careful consideration in assessing suitability for international representation.

Blessing Anolaba
Editorial & Creative Correspondent
A storyteller and journalist passionate about telling stories for policy change and impact.