Dateline: Washington DC, August 22nd, 2003

Ambassador Augustine Agada and his wife, Judith

here must be something special to it. He is not the first Nigerian ambassador recalled from Washington DC. But the moans and regrets that greeted the recall of Ambassador Augustine Agada from Washington DC suggests the man must be very, very quite different from other ambassadors that have had the opportunity to live or serve in Washington DC. This is the first time in political Washington (within the Nigerian community) that an Ambassador's recall has attracted this huge amount of fanfare. All week, in fact all month, it has been one Agada send off party or the other.

The other day, there was one held by the Idoma community - the ambassador is Idoma. Then there was that arranged by a group of friends who likened themselves to the friends of Augustine Agada. Then the church communities; then the Nigerian youths in Washington, then there were others held by states representatives in Washington DC. The numbers keeps rising.

Mr Kunle Soyombo, a Minister, with wife at the sendoff party held at the Nigerian embassy

But the anticlimax of all the farewell parties was that held at the new Nigerian embassy building in Washington DC, Friday, August 22 2003. The setting was good. The venue: - the new Nigerian, majestic and imposing embassy building - on International Court in N.W Washington DC. There was enough to eat and the attendance was unexpectedly very high. The music too was good and melodious. The DJ a young man in his late twenties was good dishing out old Nigerian tunes that were nothing but nostalgic.

Onyeka Onwenu

Mrs Roseleen Kechi Mba-Kalu of the World Bank in DC graced the occasion with daughter

The pop singer, Onyeka Onwenu, (who sang her trade mark title, One Love and some other unreleased numbers) was also in attendance; there was Nigeria's former head of service, Dr. Abu Obe: there was Kalu Idika Kalu, the former minister of finance and transport; there were retired military officers, there was a personal representative of the former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; Mrs. Roseleen Kechi Mba-Kalu of the World Bank (another Okonjo-Iweala?) and her children graced the occasion;

People had a lot to eat and drink

there were of course in attendance, prominent personalities that cut across the political and business spectrum of Washington DC including professor emeritus, Reverend Canon Edmund Ilogu who said the opening prayer. Alhaji Aliyu Mustapha was the Master of Ceremony.

Ms Stella Onuoha - one of the organizers of the party

Friday's event was put together by the Nigerians in the Diaspora Organization (NIDO) whose able Chairman Emeka Ugwuonye said he had to cut short his visit to Nigeria to be in Washington DC for the event. He also plans to rush back to Abuja to host another reception for the Ambassador when he and his family return, expectedly within the next few days.

When it was time to say the good things to the hearing of the man for whom the occasion was arranged, encomiums began to rain inside the well of the reception room of the new Nigerian embassy non-stop. It was Kunle Soyombo, a minister at the embassy, who opened the floodgate of encomiums, poured on the departing ambassador. "Why should it not be so?" asked one attendee sitting near to me? "Ambassador Agada" he said is the perfect diplomat. He speaks more than 9 Nigerian languages. He is tall, imposing and handsome. He is not arrogant. He is down to earth. He fits into the perfect description of super diplomat. Yes he is a Christian but of which denomination? You could see him in the Catholic Church in morning and at the Anglican evening prayer, next Sunday. He is at ease with Muslims. He is at ease with everybody. He sees the whole Nigerian community as his sphere, as his diplomatic constituency. All this he has done without compromising the dignity of his office. He is a diplomat's diplomat."

Of late, the entire embassy staff has begun to wear a new image of a group sent to Washington to cater for the interest of Nigerian nation and its citizens. Even messages are now returned and answered promptly. The attitude of the staff have changed remarkably and noticeably too - this, no doubt is a reflection of the nature of the new men at the head, particularly that of Ambassador Agada. He handled diplomacy with the dexterity and self-assuredness of a caring person. He is the kind of diplomat that should be sent to Washington and in fact to all other important countries of the world, where Nigeria has relationship at the ambassadorial level. He is a role model which Nigeria's external affairs ministry should be proud to put on display. But why are they recalling him at this point since he has been an ambassador in an acting capacity for less than one year", the attendee finished resignedly. "Good things don't last," he sighed, having answered his own question.