Don’t resume without approval, Senate warns CCB, PenCom, ICPC heads

The Senate has warned nominees for the leadership of three
Federal Government institutions, whose names were recently
announced, against resuming work until their nominations are
confirmed.
The upper chamber of the National Assembly alleged that
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, in his former capacity as Acting
President during the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari, who was
away on medical vacation in London, gave the nominees the directive
to resume, pending the confirmation of their appointments.

According to the chamber, the directive is illegal.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public
Affairs, Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, in a statement on Saturday
night, said the affected nominees included Ali Usman, who was
nominated as Director General of the Pension Commission; Dr.
Mohammed Isah, nominated as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau;
and Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, the nominee for Chairman, Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

The statement read, “The leadership of the Senate has been
inundated by enquiries from individuals across the country, who
want to know whether the statement from the Office of the Secretary
to the Government of the Federation to the effect that the nominees
into the headship of PenCom, the CCB and ICPC should resume work
immediately, pending their confirmation by the Senate, was as a
result of an understanding between the executive and the
legislature.

“We will like to advise the Acting President, who was quoted to
have given the directive for the resumption of the nominees, that
the directive was illegal and not right. The Senate will not
support any action that is not in line with the law.

“We advise the nominees to hold on until they are cleared by the
Senate as required by the law before resuming in their respective
offices. We do not want anything that will cause any problem
between the executive and the legislature.”

The Senate, in protest, had suspended further consideration and
confirmation of appointments by the Presidency until the Acting
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr.
Ibrahim Magu, whose nomination was rejected by the lawmakers, was
replaced.

The lawmakers had also frowned on comments by Osinbajo that
Section 171 of the Constitution empowered the president to make
some appointments without seeking legislative confirmation by the
Senate.

The Senate has warned nominees for the leadership of three
Federal Government institutions, whose names were recently
announced, against resuming work until their nominations are
confirmed.
The upper chamber of the National Assembly alleged that
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, in his former capacity as Acting
President during the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari, who was
away on medical vacation in London, gave the nominees the directive
to resume, pending the confirmation of their appointments.

According to the chamber, the directive is illegal.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public
Affairs, Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, in a statement on Saturday
night, said the affected nominees included Ali Usman, who was
nominated as Director General of the Pension Commission; Dr.
Mohammed Isah, nominated as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau;
and Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, the nominee for Chairman, Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

The statement read, “The leadership of the Senate has been
inundated by enquiries from individuals across the country, who
want to know whether the statement from the Office of the Secretary
to the Government of the Federation to the effect that the nominees
into the headship of PenCom, the CCB and ICPC should resume work
immediately, pending their confirmation by the Senate, was as a
result of an understanding between the executive and the
legislature.

“We will like to advise the Acting President, who was quoted to
have given the directive for the resumption of the nominees, that
the directive was illegal and not right. The Senate will not
support any action that is not in line with the law.

“We advise the nominees to hold on until they are cleared by the
Senate as required by the law before resuming in their respective
offices. We do not want anything that will cause any problem
between the executive and the legislature.”

The Senate, in protest, had suspended further consideration and
confirmation of appointments by the Presidency until the Acting
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr.
Ibrahim Magu, whose nomination was rejected by the lawmakers, was
replaced.

The lawmakers had also frowned on comments by Osinbajo that
Section 171 of the Constitution empowered the president to make
some appointments without seeking legislative confirmation by the
Senate.