By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Senator representing Kano South, Suleiman Kawu Sumaila has vehemently opposed President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of Oluwole Adama as the Executive Director, Midterm and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF) under Nigerian Midterm and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
As soon as the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio read Tinubu’s letter requesting the upper chamber to confirm Engr. Oluwole Adama as the ED, MDGIF Tuesday, Senator Suleiman Kawu of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP, Kano South) raised a constitutional point of order, on the power of the National Assembly to make laws for Nigeria.
Kawu said based on Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) the letter sent to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu on the appointment of ED, MDGIF, he informed the Senate that someone from his Kano South senatorial district was appointed in March 2022 for a term of 5 years in accordance with the provision of section 2 & 5, 36 (1) of the PIA.
Reading section 4 of the 1999 constitution (as amended), Kawu said “The legislative powers of the Federal Government of Nigeria shall be vested in the National Assembly of the federal, which shall consist of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“Second, the National Assembly has powers to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the federation or any part thereof with respect to any matter included in the exclusive legislative list set out in part one of the second schedule set out in this constitution.
He said based on these powers vested in the National Assembly, he reminded his colleagues that the 9th National Assembly passed the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and based on that Act, he said the letter sent to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu on the appointment of Oluwole Adama as ED, MDGIF to replace Mansur Alkali Kuliya, who he is from his constituency, Kano South senatorial district.
He said Mansur Kuliya was appointed in March 2022 for a term of 5 years in accordance with the provision of section 2 & 5, 36 (1) of the PIA, adding that it was the Senate which confirmed his appointment and his term of office has not elapsed.
Senator Kawu said “there are provisions in the Act that if for any reason he will be removed or replaced, there must be a process which the executive, although he has the power to appoint, but there must be a procedure in line with our laws and the constitution.
“Therefore, I’m drawing the attention of the Senate that the appointment of the gentleman who is serving his term with any letter of disengagement and there was no correspondence from anybody. He just heard that he has been removed.
“Therefore, we are the ones who made the law, it is the responsibility of the National Assembly to respect its own laws”.
The Senate President therefore referred Tinubu’’s request for confirmation of Engr. Adama was referred to the Committees on Downstream Petrolatum and Gas.
Meanwhile, the Senate has adjourned to Tuesday February 6, 2024.
