The Senate on Wednesday confirmed the nomination of Adeleke Adewolu as an executive commissioner on the governing board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the Senator Oluremi Tinubu-led Senate Committee on Communications at plenary.
But some Southeast senators raised objections to the confirmation and drew the Senate’s attention to the lop-sidedness in the NCC Board, following the absence of a Southeast representative in the board at the moment.
Francis Onyewuchi (Imo East), citing Section 14(4) of the Constitution, called for the report to be stood down pending when there is a nomination to fill the Southeast slot.
Uche Ekwunife and Rochas Okorocha had observed that there was no Southeast representative on the Board of the NCC.
enate President Ahmad Lawan said even though the Senate as a law-making body would always insist that its legislation are adhered to, it was not sufficient to stop the confirmation of Adeleke.
He directed the Committee on Communications to get the list of executive directors in the NCC, in view of the alleged marginalisation of the Southeast in appointments into the board of the agency.
Senate Minority Leader Enyinnaya Abaribe, who raised an order for personal explanation, stated that the real issue was that there was a vacancy for the Southeast zone in the NCC board which had not been filled.
Abaribe noted that the Southeast had a representative on the Board of the NCC who left to contest elections in another party.
He said the action of the former Southeast representative on the board had created a vacancy in the NCC board that had not been filled.
The Senate approved the nomination of Adeleke when it was put to voice vote by the Senate President.
