Senators yesterday rejected the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to seek the Senate’s approval for the appointment of Aisha Umar, as the Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).
Some senators, yesterday, vehemently protested the nomination as soon as the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, read Buhari’s letter, seeking Umar’s confirmation as the substantive DG of the agency.
The letter also named Oyindasola Oni as Chairman of the agency.
Six nominees were sent to the Senate for appointment as chairman, Director General, and Executive Commissioners of the National Pension Commission.
Others nominated as 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 the aggrieved senators, the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, declared that Umar, from the North-east, should not have replaced the former DG, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, who is from the South-east.
Abaribe said Buhari’s action was a flagrant breach of the Act that established PENCOM.
Section 20(1) and section 21(1) and (2) of the National Pension Commission Act 2014, state that, “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.”
Abaribe argued that Anohu-Amazu’s successor should come from the South-East.
He said, “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 (Lawan) send it to the appropriate committee tomorrow, (Wednesday), I wish to draw the attention of the committee to it. ”
The Senate President rejected Abaribe’s point of order and observation.
He said, “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.”
