President Muhammadu Buhari has submitted the names of 6 nominees to the Senate for confirmation as Chairman, Director General and National Executive Commissioners of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).
In the letter, which was read on the floor of the upper chamber yesterday by the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, the President nominated Oyindasola Oni as the Chairman and Aisha Umar as the Director-General.
Others nominated as Executive Commissioners are Hannatu Musa (North-West), Clement Akintola (South-West), Ayim Nyerere (South-East) and Charles Emukowhale (South-South).
However, Senators across party divides were upset immediately Senate President Ahmad Lawan read a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari announcing the nomination of Aisha Umar as the director general of PENCOM.
They alleged that the appointment breached the Federal character principle.
Senate Minority Leader Enyinnaya Abaribe has kicked against the nomination of Aisha Umar (North East) as Director General of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).
Abaribe however raised a point of order following the reading of the letter by Lawan.
The Abia South Senator insisted that the nomination of a candidate from the Northeast to replace the former Director-General (DG) of PENCOM, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu from Southeast was in breach of the Act establishing PENCOM.
He noted the National Pension Commission Act 2014 provided that “in the event of a vacancy, the President shall appoint replacement from the geo-political zone of the immediate past member that vacated office to complete the remaining tenure.”
He maintained the replacement for Mrs Anohu-Amazu must come from the South East.
Abaribe 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 because it is against the law setting up the National Pension Commission.
“Before you send it to the appropriate committee tomorrow, I wish to draw the attention of the committee to it.”
Lawan, in his response, 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.”
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