President Muhammadu Buhari had sent names of two new ministerial nominees to the Senate for confirmation on Tuesday, March 28, 2017.
Nigeria’s Senate President Bukola Saraki has just read the letter on the floor of the upper chamber of the legislative arm of government. The nominees are Stephen Ocheni and Suleiman Hassan from Kogi and Gombe states respectively.
A source close to the Senate told our correspondent that the letter arrived the Senate late Tuesday, March 28, 2017.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the Kogi nominee will be replacing the late Minister of State for Labour, Barr. James Ocholi while the nominee from Gombe would be replacing former Minister for Environment Ms Amina Mohammed who had gone to serve in the United Nations as a deputy Secretary General.
The list of ministerial nominees is coming at a time when the Senate stood down for two weeks consideration of the request of President Buhari for the appointment of Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).
The Senate based its decision on what it termed disregard for its resolutions.
The upper legislative chamber specifically berated the President for appearing to be doing nothing about the rejection of Ibrahim Magu a the Chairman of the EFCC but allowing him to function in acting capacity.
The senate stressed that it was wrong to leave any appointee in acting capacity even after he had been rejected twice by the senate.
Additional reports by NAN.
