The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday reconsidered and passed the seven bills earlier rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari.
This is as it suspended confirmation of the appointment of Olanipekun Olukoyede as the Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The upper chamber of the National Assembly also urged the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of the excise tariff increment until relevant stakeholders are appropriately and adequately consulted and engaged for serious discussion, which will give an avenue for consensus rates and implementation approach.
Olukoyede’s confirmation suffered setback following observation made by a member of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crime responsible for the confirmation.
Shortly after the Chairman of the Committee, Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu North), presented the report, Isa Misau (PDP, Bauchi Central), a member of the committee raised an objection, alleging that most members of the committee were not carried along in the screening exercise.
Explaining why the upper chamber should suspend the confirmation, Misau said, “I observed that only three members out of eight members signed the signature page. What I want is that this report should be stepped down so that we the members of the committee can go through it because I participated actively in the screening of the nominees.
“There are some of them that are not competent to hold the offices for which they were nominated. I did not sign the report because I am just seeing this report now. It has not been sent to my office. Nobody invited me to come and deliberate on this report and I was part of the screening.
“And during the screening, I made objection on certain people who are not supposed to hold the office. So, the members of the committee should study it and not just the clerk of the committee to write report and come and submit to the Senate in plenary.”
Ruling on the matter, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, who agreed to the demand that the report should be stepped down, asked the committee chairman to meet with other members and collectively discuss the report to avoid divergent positions on the confirmation.
Presenting the report of the committee, Utazi explained that Olukoyede satisfied the committee by demonstrating competence and sufficient experience to occupy the office for which he was nominated.
Consequently, the committee, having found him qualified and worthy of the office, recommended that the nominee be confirmed as requested by the president.
“The nominee appeared before the committee on Wednesday, October 24, 2018. The members subjected to scrutiny the curriculum vitae of the nominee and other relevant documents relating to his background and educational qualification, and the work experience of the nominee.
“The committee found that Olanipekun Olukoyede is a trained lawyer. He gave in-depth responses to the questions asked by the members which we believe will add value to policy formulation and implementation in the EFCC.
“The committee is satisfied that the nominee has the requisite experience, integrity, professional competence and industry to discharge the functions of the position in which he is nominated.
“The committee also noted that there was no adverse security report against the nominee and the scrutiny carried out on the nominee shows that the nominee possesses the necessary academic and administrative experience for the position.
“The committee, therefore, recommended that the Senate should confirm the appointment of Olukoyede to the office of the Secretary of EFCC.”
Reacting to the observation that there was low turnout of the committee members, Utazi said, “This is uncertain times. Most of the committee members are busy with activities of oversight, and some also are doing electioneering but we formed quorum. We gave the notice to everybody to attend. At the end of the day, the number of people that came formed quorum and we took decision on behalf of the committee”.
In his observation, while also contributing to the debate, James Manager (PDP, Delta South), said, “I observe that only few signatures appeared on the signature column. However, going through what the chairman of the committee has presented, and knowing full well that this is not very normal time for the Senate, it will not be easy for a chairman of a committee to have all the members to attend, however, from the number that appeared I’m sure that they formed quorum.
“From the report of the committee, since the nominee has the requisite experience and professional competence, that is what we are looking for in a nominee for the kind of office that we screen him for, I, therefore, suggest that any other thing can be ignored so that we confirm the nominee.”
Olukoyede, an indigene of Ekiti State, who is the current Chief of Staff to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, was nominated as Secretary to the Commission in a letter by President Buhari, which was dated September 10, 2018 and addressed to the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.
After reading the letter during plenary on October 3, 2018, the request was referred to the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, to screen the nominee and report back to the chamber for confirmation or otherwise.
The Senate has asked the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of the excise tariff increment on alcoholic beverages and tobacco.
The lawmakers urged the Federal Government to sensitise producers and consumers of alcoholic and tobacco products to understand the need for the increase and its advantage in adding to the economic fortunes of the country as well as providing the government with more resources to invest in health services of the nation.
Meanwhile, the Senate has reconsidered and passed the seven bills, which President Buhari had refused assent to.
The Senate said that after critical examination of the bills, the Directorate of legal Services of the National Assembly observed some fundamental issues, which required fresh legislative action.
Following its observation, while relying on order 1(b) and 53(6) of its Standing Order, the Senate resolved to rescind its decision on the affected clauses of the bills as passed and recommitted same to the committee of the whole for reconsideration and passage.
The clauses of the bills were worked on by the technical committee of the Senate, House of Representatives and Directorate of Legal Services.
The bills are Nigerian Aeronautical Search and Rescue, Climate Change; Chartered Institute of Training and Development of Nigeria; Chartered Institute of Pension Practitioners of Nigeria and three others.
Daily Independent
