BEVERLY HILLS, September 29, (THEWILL) – Some Senators led by Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have vehemently rejected President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominee as Director-General of the National Pensions Commission, PENCOM, Aisha Umar, on the premise that she is not from the South-East, where they claim the law prescribes that the nominee replacing an incumbent midway into their tenure must be appointed from.
The senators expressed their frustrations with President Buhari, who has often been accused of favouring the north in federal appointments, at Tuesday’s reading of his letter on the floor of the red chamber by President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, seeking Umar’s confirmation as the substantive DG of the agency, following the firing of former DG, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu.
The letter also nominated Oyindasola Oni as Chairman of the agency with four others for appointment as Executive Commissioners of the agency.
The Commissioners are Hannatu Musa (North West); Clement Oyedele Akintola (South West); Ayim C. Nyerere (South East); and Charles Efe Sylvester Emukowhale (South-South).
Speaking on behalf of his aggrieved colleagues, Abaribe, said Umar, who represents the North-East, cannot replace Anohu-Amazu, who is from the South-East, saying the president’s action infringes on the Act that established PENCOM.
Section 20(1) and section 21(1) and (2) of the National Pension Commission Act 2014, states, “in the event of a vacancy, the President shall appoint a replacement from the geopolitical zone of the immediate past member that vacated office to complete the remaining tenure.”
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Abaribe argued that Anohu-Amazu successor should come from the South-East.
“I recall that the tenure of the incumbent was truncated therefore the new letter from the president that has now moved the Chairman of the Commission to another zone may not be correct.
“It is against the law setting up the National Pension Commission and the Federal Character Commission.
“Before you send it to the appropriate committee tomorrow, (Wednesday), I wish to draw the attention of the committee to it. ”
The Senate President however objected to the Minority leader’s point of order saying: “That is for me to interpret because I interpret the laws here. If there is any petition to that effect it should be sent to the committee.”
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