Group gives Senate seven-day ultimatum to resume confirmation of President Buhari's nominees

macfranc007 February 11, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Oluwatobi Bolashodun

- The Human and Environmental Developmental Agenda (HEDA), has given the Senate a seven-day ultimatum to commence the process of confirmation for President Buhari's nominees

- The group vows to institute legal action against the Senate if it fails to discharge its statutory responsibility

- The group decried the refusal of the Senate to screen nominees adding that the situation had diabled many federal agencies

The Human and Environmental Developmental Agenda (HEDA), has decried the refusal of the Nigerian Senate to screen nominees of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying the situation had incapacitated many federal agencies, Premium Times reports.

NAIJ.com gathered that the human and environmental rights promotion organisation said the resolution by the Senate not to screen and confirm nominees from the executive was undermining governance and frustrating the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

The group in a petition it sent to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and signed by its Resource Centre’s chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju gave the Senate a seven-day ultimatum to resume the confirmation of nominees, warning that it would head to court if the lawmakers ignore the ultimatum.

In the petition the group stated that it was deeply worried by the failure of the Senate to discharge its constitutional duty of confirming people nominated to administer “strategic institutions responsible for governance, economy, development and anti-corruption agenda of the government.”

The petition reads in part, “Newspaper headlines are speculating political motive not unconnected with differences between the Senate and the Presidency (and that it) is responsible for Senate’s deliberate withholding of a constitutional duty in the confirmation of about sixty 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 who are still having problems clearing their nominees in the Senate.”

“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.

“Failure to screen and confirm the chairman designate is an utter disregard for your responsibility as provided in section 3(6) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Act which states that: ‘the chairman and members of the commission who shall be persons of proven integrity shall be appointed by the president, upon confirmation by the senate and shall not begin to discharge the duties of their offices until they have declared their assets and liabilities as prescribed in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’

“Failure of the Senate to exercise its statutory duty in confirming the ICPC chairman designate is undermining and frustrating the ongoing fight against corruption in the country.”

“We therefore, by this letter, call on the 8th Senate under your leadership to activate the process of confirming the sixty nominees within seven days of the receipt of this petition, failure of which we shall institute an action in court to compel you to discharge your statutory duties,” the petition added.

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A previous report by NAIJ.com stated that Bukola Saraki, the Nigerian Senate President said that the Senate's resolution stopping the confirmation of President Muhammadu Buhari nominees has not changed.

Saraki stated this while responding to a point of order by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa from Abia on the composition of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) that the resolution must be respected by all.

How Nigeria got into serious mess - on NAIJ.com TV.