The Senate has not lifted the embargo on the confirmation of appointments made by President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Bukola saraki said on Wednesday. He reiterated this resolution after reading a letter from Buhari seeking Senate’s approval for the 2017 budget estimates of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
And that was after Mao Ohuabunwa, the senator from Imo North Senatorial District, had raised a point of order. The lawmaker reminded his colleagues that three states had no representation on the board of the NDDC as a result of the suspension of confirmation of nominees.
“As I speak today, two or three states are not represented on this board and this board has been inaugurated and has been functioning,” he said. But Saraki stated that the NDDC board appointments could only be confirmed if the screening process started before the resolution by the Senate.
“I am happy that you made reference to the fact that we all here at the Senate passed a resolution on this matter. The issue you just raised, we will look at it to see if the exercise itself started before the resolution. I know this resolution, we took it in March – I could remember it was towards the end of March last year,” he said.
“So, the secretariat should check the records. If it had started before, we will look into it; but if it started after, unless that resolution is rescinded, we are all bound by that resolution.”
