Resumption of duty: Senate overrules Osinbajo on PenCom, CCB, ICPC nominees

THE Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has directed the newly appointed chairmen of the National Pension Commission, Code of Conduct Bureau, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission to resume duty.

However, the Senate, in a reaction, has advised the nominees into the headship of three Federal Government institutions whose names were recently announced not to resume work until their nominations are confirmed in accordance with the provision of the constitution and the establishment laws of the affected institutions.

The nominees affected by the Senate directive are Alhaji Ali Usman who has been nominated to become the Director General of the Pension Commission (PenCom), Dr. Mohammed Isah nominated as chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CBB) and Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, the chairman nominee of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

In a statement by its spokesperson, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate noted that: “The leadership of the Senate has been inundated by enquiries from individuals from across the country who want to know whether the statement from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to the effect that the nominees into the headship of PenCom, Code of Conduct Bureau and ICPC should resume work immediately pending their confirmation by the Senate was as a result of an understanding between the executive and the legislature.

“We will like to advise the Acting President who was quoted to have given the directive for the resumption of the nominees that the directive was illegal and not right. The Senate will not support any action that is not in line with the law.

“We advise the nominees to hold on until they are cleared by the Senate as required by the law before resuming in their respective offices. We do not want anything that will cause any problem between the executive and the legislature,” Abdullahi stated.

Mr Bolaji Adebiyi, Permanent Secretary and Director Press Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

He said the appointees are directed to resume duties in acting capacities pending their confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He said that the appointment was to ensure that there was no vacuum in certain important Federal Institutions.