SAN FRANCISCO, January 14, (THEWILL) –
Senate President Bukola Saraki has stated that the resolution of the Senate to put an embargo on the confirmation of appointments made by President Muhammadu Buhari is still in force.
Saraki made this known as he read a letter, on the floor of the Senate, from the President seeking the Senate’s approval for the 2017 budget estimates of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Having read the letter, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, Lawmaker representing Imo North Senatorial District, raised a point of order saying that three states had no representation on the board of the NDDC which he blamed on the suspension of confirmation of those nominees.
He stated that the NDDC Act stipulates that the composition of the board should include “representatives from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers states, with three persons to represent non-oil producing states provided that such membership was drawn from the same geo-political zone which are not represented in the Commission.
Other members include one representative of the oil-producing firms in the Niger Delta nominated by the oil-producing companies, one person to represent the Ministry of Finance, one person to represent the Ministry of Environment, the Managing Director of the commission and two executive directors.
“As I speak today, two or three states are not represented on this board and this board has been inaugurated and has been functioning,” he declared.
Responding, Saraki stated that the NDDC board appointments could only be confirmed if the screening process had started before the resolution by the Senate suspending the confirmation of appointees.
“I am happy that you made reference to the fact that we all here at the Senate passed a resolution on this matter,” Saraki responded.
“The issue you just raised, we will look at it to see if the exercise itself started before the resolution. I know this resolution, we took it in March – I could remember it was towards the end of March last year.
“So, the secretariat should check the records. If it had started before, we will look into it; but if it started after, unless that resolution is rescinded, we are all bound by that resolution.”
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