- As EFCC partners Germany on anti-corruption
Twelve days after the Senate cleared Chief Okoi Ofem Obono-Obla, Cross River, South South, as a non-Executive Commissioner on the governing board of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, it has made a dramatic turn by dropping his name from the list of successful nominees sent to President Muhammadu Buhari. Obono-Obla’s name was removed in the letter transmitted to Buhari as one of those confirmed by the legislature.
In the letter dated November 22, signed by Senate President Bukola Saraki, a copy of which was obtained yesterday, Obono-Obla was listed as one of the three whose nominations were rejected by the Senate. It would be recalled that Oboni-Obla was among the five whose nominations by President Buhari were approved by the Senate on November 17, 2016, while two of the nominees were dropped.
At the plenary, those whose appointments were confirmed were Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye (Chairman/Ogun/South-West), Senator Ifeanyi Ararume(Non- Executive Commissioner/Imo/South East), Sunday Dare (Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management/Oyo/South-West), Okoi Ofem; Obono-Obla (Non-Executive Commissioner/Cross River/South-South) and Clement Omeiza Baiye (Non-Executive Commissioner/Kogi/North-Central).
The lawmakers, however, dropped Aliyu Abubakar (Non-Executive Commissioner/Bauchi/North-East) and Pastor Ezekiel Yissa (Non-Executive Commissioner/Kwara/North-Central). According to the report of Senator Gilbert Nnaji led Committee on Communications, Pastor Ezekiel was rejected because of his background as a nursing officer.
The second nominee rejected by the Senate, Alitu Abubakar, had repeatedly called for the scrapping of the Senate, even when he appeared before the Senate for screening, saying the existence of the Senate was not justifiable. He also pointed out that the upper chamber was only wasting the nation’s resources by its existence. Obono-Obla, who is the Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution, attached to the Ministry of Justice, protested in an email sent yesterday against what he described as back-door removal.
The mail was titled, Can the Senate President unilaterally overrule the confirmation of a nominee by the Senate? The nominee, who asked why he was removed after the Senate had confirmed his nomination, simply said: “The entire major electronic and print media organs in the country, on November 17 and 18, 2016, carried the confirmation by the Senate of the Board of Nigerian Communications Commission.
“Surprisingly and curiously, the Senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, in a letter dated November 22, 2016, to President Muhammadu Buhari, titled ‘Confirmation of Appointments,’ falsely stated that the Senate did not confirm the following nominees: Aliyu Saidu Abubakar; Pastor Ezekiel Yissa and Chief Okoi Ofem Obono-Obla.”
In the meantime, the German government and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are collaborating through art and other creative means by young people to fight corruption.
German Consul-General in Lagos, Ingo Herbert and Head, Public Affairs, EFCC Lagos Zonal Office, Samin Amaddin said it was important to nurture children’s innocence and creativity to build a corruption-free society.
They stated this at weekend when the Consulate hosted the 2016 finalists of the EFCC/Creative Youth Initiative Against Corruption (CYIAC) with the theme, ‘My new Nigeria free from corruption’.
The project, which was launched in Abuja on October 4 by EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu, featured paintings, essay and poetry renditions by 21 primary and secondary pupils from 9-14 years, who qualified to represent 16 schools in Lagos from a pool of 120-student and 60-school participants.
Herbert said: “This initiative is about Nigeria and its future. Corruption creeps into a society when people accept it and fighting it has to start with the mindset that it is not acceptable. It is a good thing that Nigeria has demonstrated that corruption is not acceptable.”
Samin Amaddin, head, public affairs, EFCC Zonal Office who thanked Germany for its support for Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive, said the EFCC recognised the importance of inculcating in children, values that would sustain their integrity.
Vanguard with additional report from Nation
