Presidency begins nominees’ documentation
EFCC boss terrorising us – Senators
We won’t fight Senate –Presidency
By Taiye Odewale and
Ezrel Tabiowo, Abuja
For refusing to remove from office the Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, two weeks after his rejection by the Senate as the substantive chairman of the agency, the upper legislative chamber has vented its angst on President Muhammadu Buhari.
Specifically, the lawmakers suspended for two weeks, the consideration of 27 Resident Electoral Commissioner nominees (for the Independent National Electoral Commission), forwarded to it for confirmation by the President.
The upper legislative chamber passed the resolution yesterday, following a motion by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (PDP, Delta North).
Nwaoboshi, in his motion, anchored on Orders 14 and 15 of the Senate Standing Rules drew the attention of lawmakers to Magu’s continued stay in office in acting capacity, despite the Senate’s resolution asking for his removal.
He also pointed out that eight out of the 27 RECs forwarded for confirmation, are for reappointment, meaning that they are already in office.
The lawmaker, therefore, cautioned the Senate not to be seen and perceived as a mere rubberstamp entity for confirmation of any appointment proposal forwarded to it by the President, more so, according to him, in the face of derogatory remarks recently made by Professor Itse Sagay, on Senate’s confirmation or otherwise of Magu for the job.
He said: “Recently, in this Senate, we have dealt with the issue of confirmation and where are we today? The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Anti-Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay, went to the press and said that the Senate merely confirms. This is unexpected from somebody who had lectured constitutional law in the university, a Professor of Law, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and of course a chairman of such a big body, to say that the legislature merely confirms that is, the legislature has no power.
“Here we are again today, now been given a list to confirm and we merely confirm. Look at the list here, we have eight of them here out of 27, eight of them are for reappointment which means they are acting already, they are already working and they are still in position.
“Professor Sagay will start again Section 171 Subsection D of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; even if we don’t confirm them he will say continue to act. You can imagine the kind of advice this kind of persons are giving to Mr. President. They are telling Mr. President to disregard and disrespect the legislative institution.
“For somebody of the status of Professor Sagay denigrating the Senate over its power of confirmation and for the Presidency treating its resolution on such powers with levity, my position is that we should suspend consideration of appointments of the 27 RECs in any way for two weeks to know whether we have the power as given to us by the constitution to look into confirmation matters or not.”
Other senators like Mathew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo South), Sam Anyanwu (PDP Imo East), Bukar Abba Ibrahim (APC, Yobe East), Francis Alimekhena (APC, Edo North) among others, supported Nwaoboshi’s submission with Alimekhena pointedly declaring that Senate should stand down consideration of the RECs as a way of making the Presidency respect its resolution on Magu.
He further claimed that Magu, upon his rejection by the Senate and acceptance by the Presidency to continue functioning as EFCC boss in acting capacity, has been more or less a terror to senators, describing this as unacceptable.
“Magu is terrorising us because we rejected him. As a Senate, we must send serious message to the Presidency over the matter by stepping down action on request for consideration and possible confirmation of the 27 RECs forwarded to us for at least two weeks, as earlier moved by Senator Nwaoboshi,” he said.
Efforts made by Senators Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi Central) and the Senate Deputy Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi South), to make the aggrieved lawmakers change their minds , and possibly allow the exercise get to committee level, were rebuffed by majority senators.
Consequently, Senate President Bukola Saraki, put the motion for voice votes to which many of the senators shouted yea!
Saraki, in his remarks, after the adoption of the motion, said issues raised by many of the senators in passing the resolution were very serious ones that must be looked into by the executive within the two weeks duration.
Despite the Senate’s stance, the Office of the Senior Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters (Senate) has begun the documentation of all the REC nominees.
The nominees, who thronged the office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, yesterday, were briefed for almost two hours on the documentation process leading up to the screening exercise.
One of our correspondents gathered from some nominees who spoke anonymously, that the documentation process embarked upon by the Presidency was intended to prepare them for the screening exercise.
It was further gathered that such documents needed include; assets declaration from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) among others.
President Buhari had, in a letter dated February 27, 2017, forwarded the names of 27 nominees to Senate for confirmation as RECs for the INEC.
The President, in the letter written on his behalf by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, in his capacity as Acting President, said the appointment was in compliance with Section 14 (3) (a) of the Third Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
Presidency reacts
Meanwhile, the Presidency, in a reaction, described Senate as an arm of government that must be respected in any decision it takes in the course of exercising its powers as an independent institution.
President Buhari’s Senate liaison officer, Ita Enang, who made the position known yesterday, said the administration would respect the decision of the lawmakers and pursue dialogue with them.
“We will not question the power of the senators to take decision on how they want to conduct nomination hearings.
“We will not go fighting with them. Instead, we will listen to their grievances and reason along with them,” Enang clarified.
He was however silent on whether or not the president will now ask Magu to step aside, saying he would “not go into specifics.”
