Senate refers North East Development Commission appointments for screening

The Senate on Thursday referred nomination of 11 persons into the North East Development Commission Governing Board, to its Committee on Special Duties for screening.
This followed the presentation of the Executive Communication at plenary by the Leader of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary, asked the committee to follow due diligence and report to senate in two weeks for consideration.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter dated Jan. 8, requested the confirmation of Maj.-Gen. Paul Tarfa (rtd.) as Chairman, Governing Board of the North East Development Commission.
The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, read the communication to the Senate at plenary on Wednesday.
The letter, which was addressed to Saraki, requested his confirmation in accordance with Section 2(5) (b) of the North East Development Commission Act, 2017.
Tarfa, a retired Major General was appointed Governor of Oyo State from July 1978 to October 1979 among other positions held over the years.
Buhari equally requested the confirmation of Mohammad Goni Alkali as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NEDC and nine others as members.
The members are: Musa Yashi-Executive Director Humanitarian Affairs, Muhammed Jawa- Executive Director Administration and Finance and Omar Mohammed-Executive Director Operations.
Others are: David Kente-Member Representing North East Zone, Asmau Mohammed-Member Representing North West Zone and Benjamin Adanyi-Member Representing North Central Zone.
Others are: Olawale Oshun-Member Representing South West, Dr. T. Ekechi-Member Representing South East Zone and Obasuke Mcdonald-Member Representing South South Zone.
The Senate had in October 2016, passed the bill seeking the establishment of North East Development Commission to rebuild the North East region following devastation from insurgency.
The President Buhari assented to the bill in October, 2017.
In a similar development, the Senate referred appointment of Modibbo Tukur as Director of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit to the Committee on Anti-Corruption for screening.
The President had in a letter dated January 7 and read at plenary on Wednesday requested Tukur’s confirmation.
The request for the confirmation is in accordance with Section 5(1) of the Financial Intelligence Unit Act 2018.
Buhari had urged the senate to give the request expeditious consideration.