Buhari asks Senate to confirm Eko, Augie justices of S’Court, Ndoma-Egba, Ekere for NDDC
Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, yon Tuesday inched towards total reconciliation with aggrieved senators as he named combatant Senator Kabir Marafa (Zamfara Central) as the new Chairman of Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream).
Marafa who was last year appointed as the Chairman of the Committee on National Identity had rejected the office, saying the composition of new committees by Saraki was illegal.
Saraki at that time raised the number of Senate committees from 56 to 65.
Marafa later proceeded to court to contest the new committees constituted by Saraki, asking the court to declare them illegal.
But Marafa did not reject his new appointment yesterday as he did last year.
Saraki also acceded to the demand of Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) by crowning her as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and replaced her in the Women Affairs Committee with Senator Binta Garba Mashi (Adamawa North).
Until her new appointment, Mashi was the Senate Committee Chairman on Tertiary Education.
The Senate president also named Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North), another feuding senator, as the Chairman, Senate Committee on National Identity.
Saraki also moved Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abi South) from the Committee on Information and National Orientation to Power Committee hitherto headed by Senator James Manager (Delta South). Manager now chairs the Committee on Solid Minerals.
He also moved Senator Hope Uzodimma (Imo West) from Aviation Committee to Nigeria Customs, Excise and Tariff hitherto headed by Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) and redeployed Aliero to Aviation.
However, Saraki tactically dropped Senator Babajide Omoworare (Osun East) as the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business as he replaced him with Senator Baba Kaka Garbai (Borno Central) and redeployed Omoworare to yet to be constituted Committee on Legislative Compliance.
Others who were made committee chairmen were Tijani Kaura (Federal Character); Suleiman Adokwe (Information and National Orientation) and Barau Jibril (Tertiary Institutions).
Also announced as vice committee chairmen were Ahmed Ogembe (Marine Transport); Ovie Omo-Agege (Land Transport) and Downstream Petroleum (Philip Aduda).
Also yesterday, President Muhammadu Buhari urged the Senate to confirm the appointments of Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba as the new Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Mr. Nsima Udo Ekere as the Managing Director.
Other members of the commission the president asked the Senate to confirm were Adjogbe Ajenakevwe Samuel (Executive Director, Project); Mene Lenyie Derek (Executive Director, Finance and Administration); Hon. Donatus Enyinnah (member); Frank Samuel George (member); Prof. Brambaifa Nelson (member); Sylvester Effefiom Nsa (member); Dr. Ogagalfowodo (member) and Hon. Uwuilekhue Saturday (member).
Other are Senator Osita Bonaventure Izunaso (member); Olatokunbo Ayotunde Ajasin (member); Harry Iboroma Dabibi (member); Air Commodore Bernard Banfa (member); Yahaya Mohammed (member); Mustapha Dankadai (member); Mr. Igo Weli (Member); Dr. Mahmoud Isa-Dutse (member) and Abdul-kazeem Kasimu Bayero (Member).
In the same vein, Buhari implored the Senate to confirm Justices Ejembi Eko (Benue) and Amina Augie (Kebbi) as justices of Supreme Court to represent North-central and North-west zones in the apex court respectively.
Buhari said the appointments were in accordance with Section 231(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
