By Destiny Day
The senate plenary on Thursday, July 19, was rowdy after Senate President Bukola Saraki read a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari seeking legislative confirmation of appointments into the board of the Federal Emergency Road Maintenance Agency.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on a Constitutional Point of Order, drew the attention of the Senate to the lopsided manner at which the Buhari government was making appointments to favour only a section of the country which he said, was contrary to the federal character.
Ekweremadu’s Point of Order was supported by many Senators, including Senators Chuka Utazi, Obinna Ogba, and Mao Ohuabunwa.
Ekweremadu said: “I want to draw the attention of this Senate to the provisions of Section 14 (3) of our constitution.”
It says: ‘The composition of the government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or any of its agencies’.
“I don’t have problem with any part of Nigeria. But I have problem with the way government is directing its appointments. Over the last two to three weeks, Sir, we have had cause to either discuss this FERMA that has been announced today or the National Deposit Insurance Corporation or Asset Management Company of Nigeria or Federal Civil Service Commission.
“The heads of all these parastatals have come from one particular part of Nigeria and this is completely unfair. We can’t sit in this Senate and allow that to go on.
“So, I believe that we need to point it out to the federal executive to ensure that every part of Nigeria is represented in the running of Nigeria. This is completely unacceptable to me, Sir.
“I am talking about the leadership of these agencies. The leadership of these agencies, all of them have come from one part of Nigeria.”
Unfortunately, Senate leader, Ahmad Lawan, argued that the appointments were balanced.
Buhari’s previous appointments in the past three years of his administration had not taken into cognisance the federal character arrangement in the country.
If he does not justify such skewed appointment, his stooges in the executive and legislature do.
Buhari thinks that the South East did not support him enough to win the 2015 presidential election and believes the only way to pay the people back is by denying them involvement in his government.
The reference to the lopsidedness in the appointments made by President Buhari in the federal agencies caused the Senate session to be rowdy for more than 30 minutes.
Relative calm back, Saraki asked the committee on federal character to investigate Buhari’s appointments and present a report to the chamber on Tuesday, July 24.