Senate in Rowdy Session over EFCC Board Nominees

By Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Senate on Tuesday witnessed a rowdy session as Senators were sharply divided over the report of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes seeking the confirmation of four nominees as members of the Board of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

No sooner had the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North), finished the presentation of the committee’s report at plenary than Senator Enyinanya Abaribe (Abia South) observed that the nominees were from four geo-political zones while leaving out South East and South South zones.

He averred that the report be stood down until the composition of the Board is reviewed to take care of the interests of all the six zones in the country.

Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, and his predecessor, Senator Ali Ndume, said the committee’s report was based on what the law says and the Senate should confirm the nominees.

t this point, the Senators started shouting on top of their voice and failed to listen to the intervention of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, asking the Senate to go into a Committee of the Whole to consider the committee’s report.

Senator Utazi, who tried to speak through Order 15 (Priviledges) shouted: “I have the floor Senator Marafa go and sit down”.

The Senate thereafter went into a close-door session from 12.30 pm to 12.50pm.

Details later…