Senate Steps Down Buhari's Nominations for EFCC, ICPC Boards …Cites lopsidedness in appointments

…Probes alleged closure of Ondo assembly by police

The Senate on Tuesday stood down the confirmation of 13 appointees nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as chairman and members of the governing boards of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)  and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

This is sequel to an observation raised by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) that the nominees for the board appointments were tilted towards some particular sections of the country while the Southeast and South-south zones were left out.

The Senate had to dissolve into an executive session to deliberate on the observation raised by Umeh to the report of the eight-man Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes on the need for Senate to confirm the nominees for EFCC board presented by the Chairman, Senator Chukwuka Utazi.

At the end of the closed-door session which lasted for about 20 minutes, Senate President Bukola Saraki said the Senate has decided to step down the four board nominees for EFCC and the the chairman and eight other nominees for ICPC board.

He stated that the upper chamber took the decision to allow the Senate to liaise with the executive arm to address the lopsidedness of the appointments with a view to having equitable representation across the six geo-political zones.

Senator Utazi had earlier in the report, which generated heated argument and mild drama among members, asked that the Senate to approve the appointment of Ndasule Moses (North Central); Lawan Mamman (North East); Galadanci Najim (North West) and Adeleke Rafiu (South West) as members of the board of the EFCC.

He, however, said the committee observed that the nominees were from four out of the six geo-political zones with no nominee from both the Southeast and South-south zones.

Utazi noted that this was at variance with the Federal Character principles  as provided in Section 14(3) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

Umeh asked the Senate to suspend the confirmation to allow the executive to ensure that all zones are represented on the board "as fight against corruption involves all part of the country."

He wondered why the Northeast that produced the acting chairman of EFCC would have a board member and the Southwest which has the commission secretary is also having a board member while Southeast and South-south zones are left out of the board composition.

Senators Mathew Urogbede (Edo South) and Enyinaya Abaribe (Abia South) also canvassed that the report be stood down to ensure even distribution of the appointments among all geo-political zones.

The nine ICPC board nominees whose confirmations were also deferred because the North-east zone was not represented, include Prof Bolaji Owasaoye, Chairman (Southwest); Grace Chinda (South-south); Okolo Titus (Southeast); Obiora Igwedebia (Southeast) and Olubukola Balogun (Southwest).

Others are Adamu Bello (Northwest); Hannatu Muhammed (Northwest); Abdullahi Saidu (North Central) and Yahaya Dauda (North Central).

Also yesterday, the Senate resolved to investigate the alleged closure of Ondo State House of Assembly by the police.

Senate Minority Leader, Senator Biodun Olujinmi, had while speaking under Orders 42 and 52, drew Senate attention to recent happenings in Ondo State House of Assembly in Akure, the state capital, where the legislators had reportedly been prevented from performing their legislative duties by policemen.

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and some other senators, including Ajayi Borrofice (Ondo North), Atai Aidoko (Kogi East) and Gbenga Ashafa ( Lagos East), in their contributions, condemned the alleged police siege in the state parliament, and submitted that the Senate must act with dexterity over the matter.

On his part, Saraki reminded his colleagues that the police invasion of the parliament which started some months ago in Benue State has now been extended to Kogi, Akwa Ibom and Ondo States.

He said the Senate "must stand strongly on issues like this and the time is now to make an example of one or two people."

The Senate president thereafter referred the matter to the Senate Committee on Police Affairs for urgent investigation and report back to the Senate.

The Senate also directed the security personnel at the Ondo State assembly to allow the legislators to sit and carry out legislative duties expected of them.