President Muhammadu Buhari has reappointed Prof. Ibrahim Umar Garba Danbatta for a second term of five years as the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Senate President Ahmad Lawan disclosed this at plenary when he read Buhari’s letter of request for Danbatta’s screening and confirmation as EVC/CEO of NCC for a second term.
According to Buhari, the nominee’s appointment is in accordance with the provision of Section 8(1) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
Also yesterday Buhari nominated 11 persons for appointment as Judges of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Buhari’s request was contained in a letter read on the floor of the upper chamber by Lawan.
The letter reads: “In accordance with Section 256(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate, the under-listed names of eleven (11) nominees as Judges of the High Court of the FCT, Abuja.
“The nominees are: Abubakar Husseini Musa (Adamawa State); Edward Okpe (Benue State); Babashani Abubakar (Borno State); Emuesiri Francis (Delta State); Jude Ogho (Delta State); Josephine Enobi (Edo State); Christopher Opeyemi Oba (Ekiti State); Mohammed Idris (Kano State); Hassan Maryam Aliyu (Kebbi State); Fashola Akeem Adebowale (Lagos State); and Hamza Muazu (Niger State).”
However, the Minority Whip, Senator Philip Aduda (FCT) while relying on Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rules objected to the absence of a nominee from the FCT.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), while coming under the same point of order, explained to the contrary that the FCT already has Judges on the bench of the FCT High Court.
“What is being done by the National Judicial Council at the moment is to fill existing vacancies on the bench of the FCT Judiciary.
“What will become an issue is if you take a list of the over 40 Judges of the FCT and any particular state is missing, that is when it becomes an issue.
“A major criterion is to ensure that states that do not have anybody on the bench are given priority.
“I just wanted to clarify that FCT has Judges on the bench of the FCT”, Bamidele said.
In a similar vein, Buhari also requested the upper chamber to confirm the nomination of three members of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
He said: “In compliance with the provision of Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), and pursuant to Section 1(2) and (3) of the Code of Conduct Bureau Act LFN 2004, I write to request for confirmation by the Senate, the following three nominees for appointment as members of the Code of Conduct Bureau.
“The nominees are Barr. Ben Umeano (Anambra State – South East); Hon. Johnson Agbonaema (Edo State – South South); Olayinka Babatunde Balogun (Ogun State – South West).”
Meanwhile, the confirmation of the nomination of Idahagbon Williams Omoregie for appointment as Commissioner of the Federal Civil Service Commission was referred by the Senate President to the Committee on Establishment and Public Service for further legislative work.
The Senate President also referred the nominations of Usman Mahmud Hassan as Commissioner of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission to the Committee on National Planning and Economic matters.
The nomination of Tella Adeniran Rahmon as Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission to the Senate Committee on INEC while that of Suleiman Sani as Career Ambassador and that 41 Non-Career Ambassadors was forwarded to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for further work respectively.
