An ambassador is an official envoy, especially
a highest ranking diplomat who represents a State and usually accredited to
another sovereign State or to an international organization as the resident
representative of their own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and
often temporary diplomatic assignment.
The word is also often used more liberally for persons who are known,
without national appointment to represent certain profession, activities and
fields of endeavor.
The word was first used in 14th
century and has Germanic Origin; “German ambaht” which means “service”.
General Duties of an Ambassador
An
Ambassador must have refined diplomacy skills.
He can be paid or unpaid, and can represent a country, corporation or
private organization; his main role is to portray his country, corporation or
organization in a positive light.
(a) Public
Relations: An ambassador must
strive to maintain a good image of the entity he represents at all times. He
must sometimes interface between the two states. Thus, he must understand the
basics of good public relations.
(b) Education: One key role of
an ambassador is to educate members of the public about her country,
corporation or organization. This could be achieved through informal, everyday
conversation and formal outreach efforts.
.
© Diplomacy: An Ambassador is
expected to be highly diplomatic because he must sometimes deal with people and
situations with high potentials for conflict.
Diplomacy is a key skill for all managers. Ambassadors are managers in certain ways.
(d) Advisory:
An Ambassador acquires
experiences, knowledge and information from the host state to the entity he
represents. This could help the
corporation provide advice for better legislative advocacy.
(e) Policy: Ambassadors relay policy stances and decisions to the
foreign government organizations they associate with. In some cases, they may negotiate, (trade)
make security agreements or help facilitate joint policy statements. Ambassadors work to create good will in the
host state by facilitating cultural exchanges etc. between the states.
The ambassador’s role today
1. A Foreign Service delegated responsibility of the
ambassador is to safeguard, protect and promote the image, reputation and
interests of the sending state, corporations or organization. The basic functions of the diplomatic mission
are: representative negotiation, observation, gathering information, and protection
of the interests of his state, corporation or organization. His task is also to work for the fundamental
development of economic, cultural and scientific relations to promote cooperation
and essentially to maintain and strengthen the friendly relations between the
two states.
2. In the field of bilateral relationship, the
representative of a state accredited to another is called the “ambassador
extraordinary and plenipotentiary”, which indicatesthat his country/state sent
him at the highest diplomatic level with full authority to act on his behalf.
3. In the field of “ad hoc” diplomacy in special mission,
there exists also the rank of ambassador.
In these cases the officer designated to preside over a special mission
is often accredited as “Ambassador Extraordinary Special Mission” or as
Ambassador at large or as a “roving ambassador” when the special mission
includes more than one state.
4. An Ambassador should be properly informed about the
relationship between the state and organization he/ she represents and the host
state/ organization including the results that his/ her state intends to obtain
from this relationship as a whole and also on specific issues. It is for this reason that the Enugu state
INEC management staff are here in your midst. The formal MoU between INEC and
NYSC makes it expedient that Youth Corps members are well informed of their
role as INEC Ambassadors.
THE ORIGIN OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INEC AND NYSC.
Late
President Umaru Musa Yar’adua his bid to improve the electoral system made
electoral reforms a cardinal issue in his seven- point agenda in 2007. NYSC was among the organizations considered
as being capable of improving the electoral system, Youth Corps members who
were Ambassadors from their home states sent toother host states to render
services for our Nation, exchange cultural heritage etc. were called up to
participate as relevant officials at elections.
The reasons why INEC chose corps members were based on the following:
(i)
Section 1
sub-section 3 (c) of the NYSC Act states inter-Alia that among others, the
objective of the NYSC is “to develop in the Nigerian Youths the attitude of
mind acquired through shared experience and suitable training which will make
them amenable to mobilization in the national interest”.
(ii)
The grass root
posting policy of the NYSC ensures national spread of corps members.
(iii)
Statutorily corps
members are not to participate in partisan politics.
(iv)
Corps members are
not likely to be enmeshed in local politics.
(v)
Corps member
could be held accountable by the NYSC, INEC and Nigerians.
The first assignment performed by NYSC for INEC is the
Participation of Corps Member in the conduct of Bye/Re-run
Elections in Kogi state.
The
collaboration between INEC and NYSC commenced on 20th February, 2008
via a formal letter from INEC referenced number INEC/OPS/S.32/001/11/46
soliciting the assistance of Youth corps members as polling clerks in the conduct of Kogi State
Governorship re-run elections held on 29th March, 2008. The collaboration was without formal
agreement.
On
29th November, 2010 during a sensitization workshop for management
staff organized by International Republican Institute (IRI) in Abuja, the MOU
formalizing the collaboration between INEC and NYSC was signed jointly by the
Director – General NYSC and secretary of the Commission. To ensure the full
implementation of the MOU, a Bilateral Committee comprising top management
officers from INEC and NYSC was also inaugurated on same date. This bi-lateral relationship between INEC and
NYSC made the Youth Corps members “Ambassadors Extraordinary and
plenipotentiary” of INEC.
The
roles of Youth Corps members as INEC Ambassadors include the following;
1. The Youth Corps members participating at every
Election must handle their assignment with utmost transparency and accountability.
2. The loyalty of corps members to INEC and to the
Federal Republic of Nigeria must be absolute.
They are to politely shun all entreaties and pressures from persons or
groups to shift or divert their loyalty in any way.
3. All corps members must shun all forms of bribery and
gratification.
4. Corps members must ensure that as much as possible
they do not stray to unknown or undisclosed destinations.
5. Corps members must at all time carry their NYSC ID
Cards and identification tags provided by INEC during the exercises.
6. Corps members must politely refuse food, drinks or any
form of gift from politicians or philanthropist other than from NYSC or INEC
officials.
7. Corps members participating in the exercises must be
properly kitted throughout the duration.
8. Corps members are expected to play ad-hoc supervisory
roles during electoral activities involving them.
9. They are expected to work as Registration Officers, Assistant
Registration Officers during Registration exercises and as Presiding and
Assistant Presiding Officers during elections with high sense of dedication, patriotism
and commitment.
10.
Corps members and staff are not in any way
authorized to speak to the press on electoral matters.
11.
Corps members must report on time at their duty
posts and remain there until they return to their master points during
exercises
12.
Corps members
must immediately draw the attention of NYSC, INEC and/or security officers to
any potentially dangerous situation.
13.
Corps members are answerable to NYSC and INEC
officials only.
14.
Corps member must
endeavor to work within the stipulated guide lines.
15.
They must avoid
any form of confrontation/argument.
16.
Corps members
particularly in the exercises must avail their phone numbers and keep their
lines open at all times. In addition,
they are to obtain the phone numbers of relevant NYSC/INEC schedule officers or
security agencies around them.
17.
Corps members are
expected to comport and conduct themselves with humility, respect and decorum
in case of grievances arising from the exercises. They should follow proper
channels of communication in making known their grievances.
In
conclusion, NYSC provides in so far as it is capable, the number of corps members
required by INEC at Elections. The role of corps members as INEC Ambassador is
imbedded in the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding between INEC and NYSC. It
is a mutual participation of NYSC /INEC to ensure effective free and fair
electoral process. The Youth Corps members being the “Extraordinary and
plenipotentiary” Ambassadors of INEC are
expected to play their roles in line with the view of Alain Plantey, the
prominent French jurist, who summed up the tasks of an Ambassador, as “The
Ambassador must act with patience and firmness, with prudence and perseverance,
not to be fooled by maneuvers of distraction or intimidation.
Thank
you.
DR.
ANTHONIA CHIEBONAM EKWO
