>
The Senate on Tuesday unanimously rejected President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of Professor Akintunde Akinwande as Chairman for the Board of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) following his failure to honour the invitation for screening.
The Senate asked President Buhari to present another nominee for screening and subsequent confirmation.
The Senate however confirmed Sanusi Garba as Vice Chairman representing the North East; Nathan Rogers Shatti representing the North East as a Commissioner; Dafe Akpeneve as a Commissioner representing the South South; and Moses Arigu as a Commissioner representing the North Central Zone.
Also confirmed were Professor Frank Okafor as a Commissioner representing the South East and Musiliu Oseni as a Commissioner representing the South West Georgia- political zone of the country.
Resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a report of the Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy presented by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.
said that in his presentation, Abaribe said that the rejection of Akinwande became imperative because he was invited by the Committee, but refused to appear.
The Committee’s report said, “Prof. AKintunde I. Akinwande nominated for confirmation as Chairman of the Governing Board did not honour the Committee’s invitation to appear for screening even when the screening was suspended due to his absence on the first scheduled date.
” Documents submitted by other nominees have fulfilled the requirements of Section 34(1) of thee ESPR Act and requirements of Federal Character and the Constitution. In addition, the Committee observed that the nominees screened have all been cleared by relevant security agencies and the Code of Conduct Bureau.
” Prof. Akintunde Akinwande is not recommended for confirmation as Chairman for the Governing Board of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.”