The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Barr. Victor Chinemerem Muruako as Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
The confirmation of the nominee followed consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Finance, Chaired by Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Lagos-West) at Thursday plenary session.
Immediately after the presentation of the report by the Chairman of Committee, the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, objected to the confirmation of the nominee on the basis that full nominations to the Commission’s board were yet to be forwarded to the Upper Chamber by President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the Chairman cannot be confirmed alone without the complement of the full membership of the Board.
He, therefore, moved a motion for the confirmation to be stepped down pending when the President constitutes the Commission’s Board and sends the nominations to the upper chamber for screening and confirmation.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in his response, however, prevailed on his colleagues for the Senate to confirm the nominee pending when the full list of nominees was sent to the Senate by the President.
“If we don’t confirm, this person would still be acting, so it makes little or no difference really.
“I suggest we do the confirmation and insist that the Chairman does not constitute the board of the Commission, because the Commission is supposed to have the full complement of what the law says.
“So, we do the confirmation and write to the Executive to nominate the remaining people to form the Commission.
“But let me also remark here, that the man has acted for over seven years, and yet this commission, I personally don’t know what they are doing. What are they doing?
“So, the Chairman, when he is confirmed, has a huge responsibility to turn around this Commission for it to perform efficiently and effectively.
The Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central), on his part, observed that going ahead with the confirmation of the nominee without the complement of full membership of the Board was not the intent of President Buhari.
” Going ahead to confirm the Chairman- Designate, is to validate the sole administrator-ship that he has enjoyed for seven years, and it is wrong” ,he said .
Senate thereafter revert to plenary and subsequently Maruako was confirmed as Chairman Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
