Senate President Bukola Saraki said on Wednesday that the Senate would not screen nominees from the President in line with its resolution last March.

Saraki, who was ruling on a point of order by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa who asked that some nominees of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) be screened, said that the Senate resolution was still in force.

Saraki had read a letter from the President forwarding the budget of NDDC for 2017 on the floor prompting Ohunabunwa to raise his motion.

Ohunabunwa had raised his motion citing Order 43 to draw the attention of the Senate to the need to clear the NDDC nominees, but Saraki ruled him out.

He said: “I am happy that you made reference to the fact that we all here at the Senate passed a resolution on this matter. The issue you just raised, we will look at it to see if the exercise itself started before the resolution. I know this resolution we took it in March; I could remember, end of March last year. So secretariat should check the records. If it had started before we will look into it, but if it had started after – unless that resolution is rescinded, we are all bound by that resolution."

Ohabunbuwa, who came under Order 43, to make personal explanation said:

“This morning you had read the budget of NDDC and if you look at the Act that established NDDC, the composition of the commission is made up in accordance to the Act.

“Mr President, as I speak today, two or three states are not represented on this board and this board has been inaugurated and has been functioning. Mr President, I agree that on this floor we resolved to suspend screening but this one was already long before; there was a replacement and the screening was on before we took that decision.”

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