The
Senate on Thursday, directed its committee on Federal Character to
probe all appointments of President Muhammadu Buhari, to establish
alleged
lopsidedness or otherwise.
Ekweremadu
was reacting to a letter from President Buhari seeking Senate’s
confirmation of the appointment of a former Deputy Governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Tunde Lemo, as Chairman, Federal Emergency
Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) as well as six others.
After
the President of the Senate read the letter, Ekweremadu immediately
raised a point of Order to challenge the appointments, saying that most
of the appointments of the current administration were not in line with
the Federal Character Principle.
According
to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the federal
character principle stipulates: “The composition of the Government of
the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs
shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal
character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to
command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no
predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other
sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies”.
Sen.
Chukwuka Utazi who supported Ekweremadu’s point of order, argued that
the appointments of the current administration had been so lopsided and
favouring a particular region of the country
Also
relying on a point of order, the Leader of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan,
countered the DSP’s allegation saying that he should look at all other
appointments before jumping into such conclusions.
He
said that even where appointments in a particular agency may seem to
favour a particular region, he urged the DSP to look at all other
appointments in other agencies before alleging that the Federal
Character Principle was being violated.
In
his reaction, the President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki, said that
the observations could only be considered as the personal opinion of
those raising them.
He
argued that there was no clear document from which the senators could
draw such conclusions and therefore suggested that the committee on
Federal Character be mandated to carry out a comprehensive inquest on
the appointments of President Buhari.
Saraki
said that when the committee submits its report, then the lawmakers
would have a basis to make allegations if it is established that there
was need to.
Saraki’s
intervention however did not douse the lawmakers’ agitation as the
upper legislative chamber was thrown into a rowdy session with senators
arguing on the top of their voices for, and against Ekweremadu’s
arguments.
As
the senate moved to begin the confirmation of the appointment of
chairman and commissioners of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Sen.
Mao Ohuabunwa also relying on a point of order, called on the Senate to
suspend the consideration.
He
argued that since the senate had agreed to investigate all the
appointments of the current administration, the confirmation should be
stepped down until the committee on federal character submits its
report.
However,
the President of the Senate over-ruled him saying that the screening
should continue pending when the Committee on Federal Character submits
its report.
Saraki
insisted that the Thursday’s condideration of the Senate was not the
final confirmation of the nominees, stressing that before they are
confirmed, the senate would already have received the report of the
Characters’ committee.
The
second intervention of Saraki still did not put paid to the rowdy
session or the agitation as Sen. Utazi, also relying on a point of
order, went on to argue that if the appointment of the Board of FERMA
was kept until the Character’s commission report is presented, it would
only be fair that all screenings and considerations be suspended as well
until the report is presented.
Again
Saraki intervened saying: “We are all just speculating, we are on the
same page. Let us first get a document from Federal Character then we
can take action, if the Federal Character Reports suggests that the DSP
is right, then we suspend the consideration.
Still
fuelling the argument, another Senator, Obinna Ogba also stood on a
point of Order to argue on the issue of the appointment. It was another
round of rowdiness as Ogba’s alleged that his state, Ebonyi state was
being shortchanged in appointments.
The
senate remained in a rowdy session as Ogba spoke on the top of his
voice, attempting to suppress the voices of many other senator who were
either supporting or rejecting his argument.
In
a final intervention, Saraki upheld that the screening of the Civil
Service Commission’s appointees be continued and directed the Committee
on Federal Character to present its report in one week.
Coincidentally,
both Sen. Tijjani Kaura, Chairman of the Federal Character Committee
and the Vice Chairman were not present at the plenary.
Saraki
therefore mandated other members of the committee who were present to
pass the directive to the chairman and the vice chairman and ensure that
they conclude their investigation and report back to the Senate at
plenary on Tuesday.
Source:https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/senate-to-probe-buhari-s-appointments-261738.html
Source:https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/senate-to-probe-buhari-s-appointments-261738.html
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