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Senate considers bill on federal appointments
By Adetutu
Folasade-Koyi
and Paul Mumeh,
Correspondents, Abuja
The days of presidential nominees for
federal appointments taking a bow before the Senate will soon be over as the
Upper Chamber on Thursday considered a bill, which would set standards for
their screening and subsequent confirmation.
The bill, jointly sponsored by Deputy
Senate leader, Jonathan Zwingina and Senators Uche Chukwumerije and Olorunnibe
Mamora seeks to establish a framework for the procedure and operationalising
the provisions of the constitution in relation to:
* Setting standards for screening and
confirmation of presidential appointees whose first term expired.
* Establishment of procedures for
replacement of appointees removed before the expiration of their term of
office.
*And to ensure compliance with standing
rules of the senate with regards to other details relating to the confirmation
of presidential nominees.
The bill, according to Zwingina, “contemplates
and provides that any public officer confirmed by the Senate shall vacate his
or her office upon an address supported by two-thirds majority of the senate
praying that the person vacates that office for inability to discharge the
functions of the office or for misconduct. “Distinguished colleagues, in
presenting this bill for support, I am not unaware of people who may
misunderstand or misconstrue our intentions. My response is that there is
nothing unconstitutional and irregular in the bill and that there are
parliaments in other parts of the democratic world that have enacted laws such
as these in order to guide and regulate the process of confirmation of their
public officers. I, therefore, call on the senate to support this bill in order
to lay to rest once and for all, the problems associated with confirmation
exercises and related matters in the senate”.
Supporting the bill, Senator Bassey
Ewa-Henshaw, chairman of the senate committee on employment, labour and
productivity, applauded the initiative but canvassed for a public hearing,
which would attract Nigerians, who would testify to the ability of such
nominee.
He said: “The bill would help us to
sanitise the way some ministers are cleared. They are supposed to serve the
people of Nigeria. We may not have enough information regarding a particular
nominee. This bill is a useful exercise. It would even help if we can conduct
public hearing for the nominees, especially ministerial nominees. It would also
afford Nigerians the opportunity to come forward and give relevant information
about what they know about the nominee to the senate. It would also help us to
know whether such nominee would be able to perform in a particular ministry
that he is about to be assigned”.
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