Buhari’s nominee for NERC may have ‘tactically’ rejected it

The Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy on Tuesday rejected the nomination of Akintunde Akinwande, as chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

Chairman of the panel, Enyinnaya Abaribe, recommended that the nomination of Akinwande, for the position should not be approved because he failed to appear before the committee for screening.

“Akintunde Akinwande is not recommended for confirmation as chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Electric Regulatory Commission. Consequently, the committee hereby requests the President to represent another nominee to the Senate, pursuant to Section 34 (1) of the ESPR Act 2005,” the report read in part.

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Akinwande, who is currently an employee of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) United States, had on two occasions in late 2016 failed to appear before the panel, despite denials from the Presidency that he did not reject the appointment.

Senate, however confirmed the appointment of six nominees on the Board of the NERC, following a report of the Committee at the resumption of its 3-week break.

Those recommended for confirmation include: Sanusi Garba, Vice Chairman (North West), Nathan Shatti, Commissioner (North East), Moses Arigu, Commissioner (North Central), Dafe Akpedeye, Commissioner (South-South), Frank Okafor, Commissioner (South East) and Musilliu Oseni, Commissioner (South West).

Also, the Senate received the report of the Committee on Public Accounts on the screening of the nomination of Anthony Ayine as Auditor-General of the Federation.

 

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