Senators opposed to the confirmation of acting Director-General of Nigerian Pension Commission Board (PENCOM), Aishat Umar as substantive DG of the agency are not relenting, Sunday Tribune gathered at the weekend.

Investigation revealed that certain lawmakers from the South-West zone are now in league with their colleagues in the South-East to frustrate her appointment.

The South-East caucus in the National Assembly met last week and took a position that replacement for the former Director-General (DG) of PENCOM, Mrs Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, from Anambra State in the South-East must come from the zone.

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, at last Wednesday’s plenary, mandated the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters to screen President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominees for appointment as chairman, director general and commissioners of the board, despite sustained opposition from his colleagues.

Apart from Dr Oyindasola Oluremi Oni and Aishat Umar, nominees for the chairman and DG of the Pension Board, others whose names were sent to the Senate by President Buhari for confirmation as commissioners are Hannatu Musa (North-West); Clement Akintola (South-West); Ayim Nyerere (South-East) and Charles Emukowhale (South-South).

Senators squealing against Aishat Umar premise their argument on a provision in the Pension Act which states that “in the event of a vacancy, the President shall appoint a replacement from the geopolitical zone of the immediate past member that vacated office to complete the remaining tenure.”

They maintained that by virtue of provisions of Section 20(1) and Section 21(1) and (2) of the Act, replacement for Chinelo Anohu Amazu, whose tenure was terminated midway in 2017 by President Buhari must come from the South-East.

Anohu-Amazu, who has since been appointed as Executive Director at African Development Bank, lost her position two years to the end of her first tenure.

Move by President Buhari to bring Aliyu Abdulrahman Dikko from the North to fill the vacancy created by Anohu-Amazu’s exit was rebuffed by the leadership of the eighth Senate led by Dr Bukola Saraki.

A source revealed that senators across party divides from North-Central, South-East and South-West zones are angry over lopsided appointments by the Buhari administration in breach of the federal character principle. A senator from South-West accused the Senate President of playing on the intelligence of his colleagues. (Sunday Tribune)

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