Confirmation: Senate asks PenCom, CBB, ICPC nominees to ignore Osinbajo’s directive

The Senate 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 directive are Alhaji Ali Usman, 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 Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, the chairman nominee of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo had on Friday directed the nominees to resume duties in acting capacities pending the confirmation of their appointments by the Senate.

Osinbajo’s directive was contained in a statement from the Office of the acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Dr Habiba Muda and signed by the newly appointed Permanent Secretary Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Mr Bolaji Adebiyi.

The statement said that the directive was to ensure that there was no vacuum in certain important federal institutions.

But in a statement last night by its spokesperson, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate asked the nominees not to obey Osinbajo’s directive.

“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.