PENCOM Board: Abaribe Petitions Senate Committee not to Screen Umar as DG

Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has petitioned the Senate Committee on Establishment over the nomination of Aisha Dahir-Umar as the Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).

In the two-page petition dated October 14, 2020 addressed to the Chairman of the committee, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, which was entitled ‘A Petition Against The Nomination Of Aisha Dahir-Umar as DirectorGeneral Of Pension Commission (PENCOM)’, Abaribe asked the committee to stop forthwith the screening of the DG nominee as it was at variance with the

Act establishing the commission.

According to him, the nomination of Umar was in clear violation of section 20 (1) and section 21 (1) and (2) of the National Pension Commission Act 2014.

The Minority Leader in the petition stated inter alia:

“I hereby forward herewith a petition in respect to the above subject matter to alert you on the inherent none-adherence to the provision of the Act that established PENCOM.

“The purpose therewith, is for the distinguished Committee to stop action that could lead to the clearance of the nomination of Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar as Director General (DG) of National Pension Commission (PENCOM), because her nomination is in flagrant breach of the Act, particularly the section that deals with replacement of the DG when the need arises.

“May I, draw your attention to section 20 (1) and section 21 (1) and (2) of the National Pension Commission Act 2014, which state 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.

“I recall that the tenure of the incumbent was truncated; therefore the nomination of Mrs. Dahir-Umar by the President that has now moved the DG to another zone is not correct and has breached the Pension

Act and the Federal Character Commission.

“Accordingly, and in line with the provisions of the law in this case the “National Pension Commission Act 2014”, the nominee is automatically disqualified from holding the office of DG PENCOM.

“To refresh your mind, Distinguished Senators, the immediate past DG, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, had her five-year tenure truncated two years before the end of her term and as such having come from the South East geo-political zone, it behoves on the President to nominate her replacement from the same zone to complete the term in obedience to the provision of the Pension Act.