From Kenneth Udeh, Abuja
The Senate on Tuesday referred the board management nominees for the newly established South-East and North-West Development Commissions, constituted by President Bola Tinubu, to an Ad-Hoc Committee for scrutiny.
Against its earlier decision to dissolve into the Committee of the Whole to speedily confirm the nominees, the Senate resolved to refer them to an Ad-Hoc Committee for thorough screening before confirmation.
At the commencement of plenary, presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Senate read the requests from Mr. Tinubu for the confirmation of the appointments of the nominees as board members of the Development Commissions.
The 18 nominees for the South-East Development Commission include Dr. Emeka Nworgu (Chairman) and Hon Mark C. Okoye (MD/CEO).
Other executive nominees are: Rt Hon Stanley Ohajuruka (ED Finance); Chief Sylvester Okonkwo (ED Corporate Services); Hon Toby Okechukwu (ED Projects); Sen Anthony Agbo (ED Commercial and Industrial Development); Dr. Clifford Ogbede (ED Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development).
The members include Barr. Ugochukwu H. Agballah; Hon Okey Ezenwa; Chef Hyacinth Ikpor; Chidi Echeazu; Barr. Ifeany Agwu Ph.D.; Nasiru Usman; Hamma Adama Ali Kumo; Edward David Onoja; Orure Kufre Inima; Daniel Akwari; and Chief Mrs. Joke Adebayo Chukwuma.
Nominees for the 14 North-West Development Commission are: Lawal Samaila Abdullahi as Chairman (Jigawa) and Prof. Abdullahi Shehu (Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer).
Other members are Dr Yahaya Umar Namahe (Sokoto); Hon Aminu Suleman (Kebbi); Ja’afar Abubakar Sadeeq (Zamfara); Yahaya Aminu Abdullahi (Kaduna); Hon Engr. Muhammad Ali Wud (Kano); Shamsu Sule (Katsina); Nasidi Ali (Jigawa); Chukwu Chyioke (Abia); Ahmed Mohammed (Taraba); Engr. Ahmed Rufai Timasanyu (Kogi); Mac Donalds Michael Uyi (Edo); and Hon Babatunde Dada.
After reading the letters, Akpabio asked that the Senate dissolve into the Committee of the Whole to screen the nominees. However, he was approached by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.
Minutes after their engagement, Akpabio announced that, following advice from the elders of the Senate, the nominees would undergo screening by the Ad-Hoc Committee.
“In the wisdom of the elders of the Senate, another committee will be announced to screen the nominees before their confirmation,” Akpabio said.
The Senate President also added that the Ad-Hoc Committee will report back within one week.