Diplomatic Watchers Back Acting High Commissioner, Faults Diaspora Student Leader

The Diplomatic Watchers Association has passed a vote of confidence on Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to Australia, Ambassador (Dr.) Jane Bassey Adams, while dismissing criticisms made by a diaspora student leader as unfounded and misleading.

In a statement issued  yesterday in Abuja  the association’s president and secretary, Momodu Jude and Audu Anthony, expressed concern over remarks credited to Chris Juwon Fayomi, who they described as a self-imposed President of the National Association of Nigerian Students in Diaspora.

The group said Fayomi’s earlier statement, which also purportedly passed a vote of confidence on Ambassador Adams, was laced with contradictions and unnecessary interference in diplomatic affairs.

Reaffirming its position, the Diplomatic Watchers Association said it holds Ambassador Adams in high regard, noting that she has served Nigeria meritoriously across several diplomatic missions, a record that earned her current appointment as Acting High Commissioner to Australia, as well as her designation as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Jamaica.

The association questioned what it described as Fayomi’s “persistent and unwarranted interest” in the activities of the Acting High Commissioner, urging him to focus on his academic pursuits rather than meddling in diplomatic responsibilities.

It further queried the notion that a head of mission must attend every public function, stressing that diplomatic engagements are guided by official invitations, schedules, and strategic priorities.

“For clarity, invitations to the events referenced by Fayomi were duly acknowledged and responded to. Rather than accept these responses, he resorted to intemperate and disparaging remarks aimed at undermining the integrity of the Acting High Commissioner,” the statement read.

The association also cast doubt on the legitimacy of the student body Fayomi claims to represent, stating that there is no formally registered National Association of Nigerian Students in Australia.

According to the group, the recognised umbrella body representing Nigerians in Australia is the Council of Nigerian Association Presidents in Australia (CoNAPA), which it said has consistently expressed satisfaction with Ambassador Adams’ leadership and engagement with the Nigerian community.

It added that CoNAPA has never raised any of the allegations put forward by Fayomi, describing him as an individual seeking undue attention and lacking the mandate to speak for Nigerian students or the broader diaspora community.

The Association therefore urged the general public, particularly Nigerians in Australia, to disregard Fayomi’s comments across both social and traditional media platforms.

It warned that continued attempts to tarnish the reputation of the Acting High Commissioner would attract serious consequences.