Senators Disagree Over Confirmation Of FERMA Board Nominees

Lawmakers in the Senate disagreed on Thursday over the confirmation of members of the Governing Board for the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).

This occurred after Senate President Bukola Saraki read a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari at the plenary in which he sought legislative approval for the appointments of the candidates.

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In the letter, President Buhari indicated that the six geopolitical zones of the country were represented in the board.

But the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, raised a constitutional point of order as he objected to the chairmanship of the board.

He cited nepotism and drew the attention of the Senate to previous appointments of the President where the leadership comprised of one section of the country, saying such is contrary to the Federal Character.

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The Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, however, called on the lawmakers to see the larger picture where the six geopolitical zones were represented.

This sparked some dissenting reactions from some members, but calm was eventually restored when the Senate President ruled against further debate on the matter.

Senator Saraki consequently referred the matter to the Committee on Federal Character to guide the Senate appropriately on how to address the issue.

The committee was directed to report back to the House on Tuesday next week.