Some federal lawmakers opposed to the nomination of Aishat Dahir Umar for the position of Director General of the National Pension Commission ( NPC) , are not relenting in their antagonism to her nomination .
In frustrating her appointment , Blueprint reliably gathered that the South East caucus in the National Assembly planned a meeting for Wednesday night for required strategy .
Specifically, the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe ( PDP Abia South ) , who kicked against the nomination on Tuesday when the request was read, kicked against it again on Wednesday , when it was passed to the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service .
the floor of the Senate on Wednesday when Senator representing Abia South and Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, seconded the motion by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, for the screening and confirmation of the nominees.
Abaribe who expressed his opposition to the nomination when called upon to second motion moved by the Senate Leader , Yahaya Abdullahi ( APC Kebbi North) , for further legislative consideration of the request , said replacement for the erstwhile Director General of the PENCOM, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu should have come from the south east.
He said: “I second the motion but I still maintain my objection to the nomination of Aisha Umar for the position of the Director General.”
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Tuesday in a letter addressed to President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan nominated the duo of Dr Oyindasola Oluremi Oni and Aishat Umar from North central and North east respectively for the office of Chairman and DG of the Board.
Others nominated as commissioners were Hannatu Musa (North-West); Clement Akintola (South-West); Ayim Nyerere (South-East) and Charles Emukowhale (South-South).
Aside Abaribe , another senator opposed to the nomination of Aishat Umar, confirmed to the Blueprint that senators across party divides from south west, south east and North Central geo-political zones, met on Tuesday night in Abuja to perfect opposition to Buhari’s nominee for DIrector General of the Board.
He maintained that Aishat Umar’s nomination was a breach of provisions of Section 20(1) and section 21(1) and (2) of the National Pension Commission Act 2014, which provided that “in the event of a vacancy, the President shall appoint replacement from the geo-political zone of the immediate past member that vacated office to complete the remaining tenure.”
The lawmaker who pleaded not to be named recalled that “when Alhaji M.K. Hamman from Gombe from same North east was in the saddle as Director General, he spent his mandatory two term of eight years.
Aishat Umar has even spent eight years as Director in PENCOM. “
The source who disclosed that Mrs. Chinelo Anohu had since taken up appointment as Executive Director at African Development Bank, alleged that Hajiya Umar’s nomination is being promoted by those who have no regards for the principle of federal character .
