The Senate is reportedly angry with some nominees selected by President Muhammadu Buhari to head federal government agencies for violating the laws setting up the respective agencies of the government and the constitution.
The appointees were said to have assumed office without going through the statutory Senate screening and confirmation, This Day reports.
It is provided in the laws setting up the institutions that their appointment by the president must be confirmed by the Senate before they can assume office.
The nominees by Buhari who are yet to be confirmed by the Senate are Babatunde Fowler, appointed as the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS); Ahmed Kuru, named the new Managing Director/CEO of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON); Kola Ayeye, Ms. Eberechukwu Uneze and Mr. Aminu Ismail, named executive directors of AMCON; and Professor Umaru Danbatta, who was nominated as the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The senators, who see this as a deliberate attempt to disrespect constituted legislative authority have said they would convey their feelings to the nominees once they appear before them for clearance and they would have to explain on what legal premise they had been acting or why they suddenly required Senate clearance since they had already assumed office.
It is believed by some senators that some of these appointees have already been automatically disqualified for acting unconstitutionally and illegally in capacities clearly defined by law.
A senator from the South-west zone, who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was quite worrisome that some of the nominees have already begun to sign off on the disbursement of funds from the parastatals they are supposed to head and initiate policies.
According to him, it was an abuse of the respect they have for President Buhari.
“This sort of thing cannot happen in America or any other civilised democracy. President Buhari should avoid unconstitutional acts by his nominees.
“We have confirmed several nominees of past presidents who had to wait for weeks and sometimes months before they could assume office,” he added.
In August, some members of the National Assembly have expressed concern over Buhari’s appointment of a new executive management team for AMCON without seeking the confirmation of the Senate.
The Senate is on a six week recess and are to resume on September 29. Since their inauguration in June, they gone on recess three times, without debating any bill.
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