Senate’s rejection of Buhari NCC nominees
The Nigerian Constitution gives the President the power to appoint officials like ministers, Supreme Court justices and ambassadors with the “advice and consent of the Senate” and ordinarily, the Senate confirmation process for presidential appointees is essentially a simple, straightforward exercise. The framers of the Constitution established Senate approval of presidential appointment to curtail […]
The Nigerian Constitution gives the President the power to appoint officials like ministers, Supreme Court justices and ambassadors with the “advice and consent of the Senate” and ordinarily, the Senate confirmation process for presidential appointees is essentially a simple, straightforward exercise.
The framers of the Constitution established Senate approval of presidential appointment to curtail presidential excesses and powers. But sadly, wrangling within the ranks of APC has threatened the Senate’s approval and has become mired in political theater and an obstacle course in the presidential appointment process.
The Senate on Thursday, November 17 rejected the nominations of a former Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Ezekiel Yisa Benjamin and Aliyu Saidu Abubakar as non-executive Commissioners of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Benjamin’s rejection was based on a recommended report by the Chairman of the Committee on Communications, Senator Gilbert Nnaji.
The Senate also rejected the nominations of a former Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Ezekiel Yissa Benjamin, who was Chairman, Conference of Speakers, but had earlier cleared Barr. Okoi Obono Obla, who, according to him, had the support of his Senators from Cross Rivers.
But, in a swift reaction, the Senate this week made a U-turn, and said it had dropped already cleared Buhari’s NCC nominee Mr. Obono-Obla, who is SA to the President on Prosecution, after he was purportedly cleared by the Senate.
The Senate in its wisdom said the nomination of Mr. Obla, was never confirmed or voted for since no decision of the Senate is said to be approved if not adopted during the consideration of the Votes and Proceedings of the Senate at the next legislative day.
Reports have it that Aliyu Saidu Abubakar, the nominee from Bauchi, an APC stalwart, has warned President Muhammadu Buhari to be wary of such members whom he said ab initio did not support Buhari but only used his name to get elective positions.
Aliyu had said he believed his rejection was spearheaded by two Senate members, Senator Ali Wakili (Bauchi South) and Isa Hamma Misau representing Bauchi Central District on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, who according to him, are ardent supporters of Senate President Bukola Saraki.
Aliyu Abubakar has been an unflinching supporter of President Buhari since 2002 when he was the Organizing Secretary of The Buhari Organisation TBO up till 2008 when the CPC was formed and later merged to become the APC on whose platform he became the APC Bauchi State Chairman.
Despite his effort to resolve the crisis in Bauchi through a platform Buhari Support for Peace and Justice, the APC stalwart said the state APC continued to have running battles with the two Senators who became emboldened after the emergence of Saraki.
This, he said, led to the protest he led to the National Assembly complex to call for a bi-cameral legislature, more clarity in constituency projects, rejection of TSA by members, and other issues, a position he said he still maintains and which still re-echoed during the recent screening by the Senate.
There were allegations that Aliyu Abubakar could not produce any credible educational certificate and lacking the professional and educational disciplines, but if the security agencies had not cleared him in the first place he would not have appeared for the Senate screening in the first place.
Bauchi state’s APC vide a letter dated October 26, 2016, signed by the Chairman Uba Nana, which was copied the Senate President among others, had commended President Buhari for his nomination and said Aliyu Abubakar contributed immensely to the success of the party and the President’s election in Bauchi state.
Aliyu Abubakar has unsurprisingly reiterated his commitment to stand firm and resolute behind his support for President Buhari despite all the odds and called on the President to use all the constitutional powers available to him to stifle all attempt to whittle or sabotage his genuine effort to rid Nigeria of corruption.
In his own submission, Hon. Ezekiel Yissa Benjamin, who was disqualified on the basis of his profession as a nurse, said he met all the legal requirements and was qualified for the position.
He said during the screening he had reasonably expected some level of camaraderie and privilege accorded legislators by the Senators but added that his travails may not be unconnected with his being in opposing camp with Senate President Bukola Saraki, whom he said may not have been consulted before his nomination.
The disqualification and rejection by the Senate is a premeditated move by members of the National Assembly who are bent on scuttling President Buhari’s anticorruption drive. By their action the Senators are clearly giving signals that they are not on the same page with the President and will continue to scuttle his transparent governance.
Are the Senators telling us that if their President doesn’t support your nomination, you stand no chance? Senators ought to know that the buck stops on the table of the President who in the past has made several appointments without the knowledge or consultation with governors.
Why would an APC Senator hamstring nominees by a sitting President from his own party, no less — in such a manner? At its core, the Senate approval process for presidential appointments is an adversarial one, subject to the eternal struggle for power and the acrimony between political parties.
The rejection of the two nominees by the Senate sends a wrong signal of deliberate attempt by the Senate to frustrate the anti-corruption fight through a culture of impunity. To debunk the belief that abuse of power is a long-standing tradition, the National Assembly members should be wary of endangering and mortgaging their future especially as 2019 is fast approaching and the voting masses are keenly watching.
To give the ongoing anti-corruption fight the impetus it desperately needs, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari to send a strong message to curtail this impunity in governance by the recalcitrant Senators and show that Nigeria is genuinely committed to the fight against corruption and boost the need to end the systemic corruption in Nigeria.
Baba Misau wrote this piece from Bauchi.