The Human and Environmental Developmental Agenda (HEDA Resource Center) has urged the National Assembly to commence confirmation process of nominees submitted to it by the executive, saying the delay is incapacitating government agencies. In a petition sent to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and signed by the Resource Centre’s chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, HEDA said the failure of the Senate to screen and confirm nominees from the executive is undermining governance and frustrating the ongoing fight against corruption in the country.
“Newspaper headlines are speculating political motive notunconnected with differences between the Senate and the Presidency is responsible for Senate’s deliberate withholding of a constitutional duty in the confirmation of about 60 nominees from the President. “The Senate under your leadership has delayed some of the nominations for a period of over six months.
This has not only affected the confirmation but it has also continued to affect the smooth running of the affected federal government agencies, which are still having problems clearing their nominees in the Senate,” the petition stated. HEDA noted further that: “The Daily Times of 5th Feb, 2018 reported that the nominees of President Buhari are still having their fate hanging in the balance since the Senate continued to put their case in abeyance in alleged protest against the retention of Magu by Buhari as the Acting Chairman of the EFCC.
“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has been incapacitated with the absence of an Acting or Substantive Chairman. That institution with enormous responsibility in the fight against corruption is on the long list of Government Agencies adversely impacted by the inexplicable constitutional dereliction on the path of your Senate. HEDA said it is giving the Senate a seven-day grace period to commence the process of confirmation for the nominees, after which it will institute a legal action against the Senate if it failed to discharge its statutory responsibility in that regard.
